Wednesday, Sep. 09, 2009

Student's charity struggling

Cancer survivor helps sick children

After Nicholas Marriam received a national award last year for his volunteer efforts, donations poured in for his nonprofit group, which gives gift bags to sick children.

But this year, as families struggle in the bad economy, donations have lagged.

Marriam, a 16-year-old cancer survivor, takes it in stride. But he wants to keep the Nickelby Project going.

"They're busy worrying about their finances, and that's understandable," Marriam said of potential donors. "When the economy does pick up, I wouldn't expect, but I would hope that they are more generous. So we'll see."

Marriam started the project six years ago when he was in a Washington, D.C., hospital, receiving treatment for T-cell lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. One day, his aunt stopped by with a basket full of toiletries and gas cards for Marriam's parents to use when driving back and forth between the hospital and their Maryland home.

"My mom was very touched by that, and that kind of stuck with me," Marriam said.

So the 10-year-old started to make gift bags for other children in the hospital. He gave away gift cards to gas stations and restaurants and filled bags with coloring books and activities to help kids stay busy in the hospital.

"The time and the boredom is killer," Marriam said. "Not the disease or treatment. The boredom -- that's what gets to you."

When the family moved to North Carolina about five years ago, Marriam continued his efforts. The Nickelby Project became a nonprofit a couple of years ago.

Marriam gets help with the project from his mother and his teenage cousin, Shelby, who lives in Maryland. The group depends on donations to fill the gift bags.

When President George W. Bush honored Marriam with the Volunteer Service Award last year, people took notice. The Nickelby Project brought in $91,000 worth of donations that year, said Marriam's mother, Angel. The group gave away about 5,000 gift bags in 28 states.

So far this year, the group has had just $1,000 worth of donations, Angel Marriam said.

The Marriam family is hoping the group's third annual golf tournament will be a success.

Last year, the event raised about $4,500.

The tournament on Sept. 25 will take place at the Neuse Golf Club in Clayton. The cost is $85 per player or $340 for a team of four.

For the second year, a radio DJ in Washington, D.C., is sponsoring the tournament. Angel Marriam said she hopes a local business will eventually take over as sponsor. Golfers and businesses can opt for cheaper sponsorships too.

In spite of the lag in donations, Nicholas Marriam stays optimistic.

He's busy with his classes this year at West Johnston High School, but he plans to continue taking trailer-loads of toys to kids at Duke, Rex, UNC and other hospitals.

Marriam said his mom keeps him motivated. "She always tells me that she's proud of me," he said. "That's enough for me."

Six years ago, doctors didn't expect Marriam to survive.

He had a tumor from his throat to his stomach that collapsed a lung and pushed his heart to the left.

He missed two years of school as a kid.

"He's been through a lot," Angel Marriam said. "I just want him to be happy and safe."