NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 04: Nick Cannon and Raegan Junge speak on stage at the 2017 Nickelodeon HALO Awards at Pier 36 on November 4, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)
KEYSTONE, Iowa: An Benton County girl is going to be on national TV this Sunday for her efforts with tornado and natural disaster relief.
Twelve-year-old Raegan Junge from Keystone was six-years-old when she saw the destruction from a tornado in Missouri on the news. Eager to help, she sold homemade bracelets at a local store, raising $1,600 for a couple who was affected by the tragedy. This experience gave life to Raegan’s Relief Efforts, Junge’s organization that fundraises through bracelet, lip balm and garage sales, and donates and delivers products to people across the country who have been affected by natural disasters. To date, Raegan’s Relief Efforts has raised over $23,000 in 25 different states.
Earlier this month she met with celebrities like Nick Cannon and Kelsea Ballerini while filming for Nickelodeon Halo Awards 2017 at New York's Pier 36. The televised event honors four kids from across the country every year who are changing their communities by helping and leading others (HALO).
Junge says her favorite part of this award show was the new experiences.
"Getting on a boat, I've never been on a boat, I've never been that close to a helicopter and little things like New York pizza I had never had it before and it was really good," Junge told KCRG-TV9.
Reagan also enjoyed meeting the other three honorees she even keeps in touch with one of them. She says she hopes the awards inspire other kids to get involved.
"Like I always say a little bit comes a lot and all four of us combined can be a lot and I am just hoping that other kids watch the HALO awards and are inspired by what we do," Junge said.
Prior to the event, Raegan told KWWL that she was "beyond excited" to attend the live taping of Nickelodeon HALO Awards 2017.
Last year, Junge traveled to Chicago for an appearance on the Steve Harvey Show and to New York City to help ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. She was being honored as part of U.S. Cellular’s “The Future of Good.”
Nickelodeon awarded Junge $20,000 to go toward her organization and then a surprise $10,000 to go toward her education.
Junge will celebrate her HALO award by hosting a watch party in Keystone at Turner Hall.
