Hingham Whiz Kid: Lanie Schwartz

Name:    Lanie Schwartz, Age 13

 School: 

 Key to Awesomeness: Persistently following the impulse to help

 Accomplishments: 

 Seventh grade student Lanie Schwartz was learning about earthquakes, volcano eruptions, tsunamis, and other natural disasters. Days later, the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami struck Japan.

 The lesson came to life through pictures on the Internet.

“I was so hurt people had to go through that,” she said.

Schwartz did not plan the string of events that led her to do something for Japan.Playing with t-shirt designs on the computer, she found herself creating one for Japan and decided to print the design on 144 shirts at Goodwin Graphics in Cohasset.

Schwartz planned to sell them at school to her lacrosse team and in her hometown of Cohasset.  The plan went off course  after students did not bring money to school.

As fate would have it, another Derby student had lived in Japan, and the school sent an email noting her mom was involved with a fund, which prompted Schwartz's mom to contact a friend who works for the Fish Family Foundation, an organization that helps victims of natural disasters. She learned they were involved with the Japanese Disaster Relief Fund.

 Hailing from Japan, Atsuko Fish wanted to meet Schwartz and sell t-shirts at Boston fundraisers.

“She cried because she loved the t-shirts and was so touched by the idea that I was making them,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz designed Help Heal Japan, a website where people can buy her t-shirts online, and Fish posted the story on her blog.

Fish visited Japan and let Schwartz  know of the powerful aftershocks happening there. Her t-shirts raised awareness and continue the help.

Her second t-shirts printing added children’s sizes to meet demand.