Mendham's Doyne Named 'CNN Hero' for Kopila Valley Success

The story has become legend in western Morris County, but for many around the globe it is still an untold tale.

But Maggie Doyne’s inspiring journey from Mendham to Kopila Valley has, yet again, garnered international attention, this time with the heroine being named CNN’s Hero of the Week.

In a short video posted to the news site’s website late last week, Doyne tells the story about how she visited Nepal during a backpacking trip upon graduating Mendham High School and was so impacted by what she saw, had her parents wire her the $5,000 savings she accrued from babysitting, which led to the development of Kopila Valley Children’s Home.

Fast forward nearly a decade, and Kopila Valley is educating more than 350 students per year thanks to Doyne’s BlinkNow Foundation.

CNN’s Hero designation comes with two videos of Doyne, along with a question and answer article, all of which can be found here.

This isn’t Doyne’s first brush with international fame, of course. The New Jersey native was recently honored by the Dalai Lama and has been recognized year after year with humanitarian accolades for her work at Kopila Valley.

Find out more about Doyne’s success and her CNN Hero designation here.

Subscribe to Mendham-Chester Patch’s free daily newsletter for more local news, and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox, by clicking here.