What Good Deed Will You Do on ‘Maggie Lee for Good’ Day?

Next Tuesday, October 29th, would have been a local girl's 17th birthday. Unfortunately, Maggie Lee Henson died following a First Baptist Church bus crash in Mississippi in 2009. Since then, people all over the world honor the day, now known as "Maggie Lee for Good Day," by doing a good deed.

Maggie Lee's mother, Jinny Henson, says there's something really special going on this year. "The Ponders from Shreve Island, little Benjamin, Zachary and Sam, went to their principal and said, 'Hey, let's do a book drive for Maggie Lee for Good Day,'" Henson says. "Then they went to other principals and recruited them, from Eden Gardens Elementary and also South Highlands. Maggie Lee for Good Day has always been something that's bubbled up from people's kindness and goodness, and it's just so wonderful to see kids really making the effort and caring so much. So we're really excited about that."

Henson says this day of caring has reached as far as Haiti, Africa and Sweden, Seattle and Chicago. She says it's humbling to see all the good things done in Maggie Lee's name. "You know, with all the bad news, people are just looking for something good to cling on to," she says. "We just feel so blessed that some people really have gotten ahold of the vision and taken it farther than we could have ever imagined."

Numerous local schools are creating their own projects in honor of Maggie Lee's giving spirit. This year, Lakeview Elementary is collecting stuffed animals for the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana to give out when they make their food deliveries. Shreve Island is holding a book drive. Henson says a lot of people take for granted that there are some kids whose parents can't afford to buy them books, so this will give them an opportunity to pick out some nice ones.

Maggie Lee for Good also got a huge endorsement when 16-year-old Sadie Robertson, of "Duck Dynasty" fame, threw out the first pitch in Shreveport Little League's Maggie Lee for Good Invitational benefitting Maggie Lee's Closet. That's a fabulous and free children's clothes closet in Shreveport, which has served nearly 500 kids since February.

Something new associated with this year's event is called Prayer in the Park. It's going on at 5 p.m. Sunday in Betty Virginia Park on Line Avenue. "They're collecting canned goods for the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank, they're collecting children's Bibles for the Gingerbread House, and also socks and undies for Maggie Lee's Closet," Henson says. "You certainly don't have to bring a donation, but we would love to see you come out. It's going to be about 15 minutes of just gathering the community to pray."

We'll have more on this story Monday on KEEL Morning News.