Natalie's Everyday Heroes: Bracelets bring in bucks to help vets and first responders
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Fiona Zidek is only 8 years old, but she's already an entrepreneur. She started a business called Fiona's Bracelets. She's also a budding philanthropist.
After an organization called Next 18 helped her dad, she made it her mission to help them back.
"First, we have to make sure we have our tools," Fiona Zidek said, as she set out everything she needs to make a bracelet.
Zidek is very professional.
"We have to count out 60 of one color," she said, as she starts counting out each colorful rubber band.
She picks the colors for her creations.
"I like a purple, pink and blue one," she said.
And then she starts weaving.
"I like doing it because it gives my hands something to do," she explained.
Fiona started making these rubber band bracelets after getting a kit for Christmas.
"I asked my dad, can I start a business?" she said of the moment it all started.
"She's outgoing. Definitely not bashful," her dad, Anthony Zidek, said.
Fiona's bracelets took off from there.
She sets up pop-up shops like this one at Uncle Jimmy's Pub and Grill in New Berlin. But she wanted to do more.
"I got the idea to raise the money because I was already getting a lot of money from it, from how many people were coming up to me," she remembered.
Her dad sparked the inspiration.
"So, I'm a City of Milwaukee fireman," he said.
Anthony Zidek signed up for a camp two years ago called Next 18.
"I think the biggest thing for me, when we came back, my wife initially said there was a noticeable change in me," he said.
Fiona noticed, too.
"They gave me my dad back. Before he went to the camp, he was always like, upset, kind of. But after he came back, he was way better," she said.
Next 18 is a nonprofit that uses the game of golf and mental health techniques to help veterans and first responders with PTSD. It gave Fiona an idea.
"Maybe I'll do the Next 18 to see if we can get them enough money to try to send more people to camp," she said.
She started making special red, white and blue Next 18 bracelets, each with a QR code that takes you to the website.
"These ones are $25 and they come with care instructions," she explained.
She's raised hundreds of dollars, shipping bracelets all over the country.
"We've shipped to New Jersey, Texas, Arizona, Florida," her dad said.
Supporting a cause that's given so much to her family.
"Yeah, it feels good," she said.
Learning the importance of giving along the way.
"Very proud, and she's smart. This is right up her alley, and it's teaching her some things I wasn't taught as a kid," her dad said.
You can only get the Next 18 bracelets through the Next 18 website. For more information, click here.
Fiona's got big plans for her business. Someday she'd like to have a space to sell supplies and teach lessons.
If you'd like to nominate an Everyday Hero, send Natalie a message at [email protected].