GREECE, N.Y. — One little girl is striving to get a handicap-accessible swing in her town’s park, and is taking her plight from local news to the national spotlight.
Santii Patel, 8, and her mother were featured on Kelly Clarkson’s 'Letters to Santa' segment on Friday.
Patel’s mom secretly sent her Santa letter to the show and the producers loved it. In the letter, she wished for Santa to buy toys for all the homeless children and children in the hospital.
Clarkson answered one of her wishes by having her favorite singer, Jojo Siwa, on the show with her.
Patel also wrote in the letter that she was raising money for a handicap-accessible swing in Greece since last Christmas. She has launched a couple of hot cocoa stands in town and has held some can drives as well.
Patel told Spectrum News about her time on the show and the swing.
“It was fun. Sometimes I’ve been on the news, and we sat down and watched the news,” she said.
“It’s like a big swing and other kids that aren’t in wheelchairs can swing on it, so it’s fun for every kid,” she added.
Patel tells Spectrum News that they have raised about $7,000 for the swing so far. She also donated all of her birthday presents to kids in the hospital.