Kyle and Lleyton R., both 13, of Eureka Granite Bay 4-H Club are at the helm of BrickDreams, a nationally recognized charity based in Folsom working to bring unused Legos to children who have been the victims of domestic violence. The group collects unwanted Legos, sorts them into empty tennis ball cans and works with local agencies in Northern California including child advocacy groups, WEAVE, CASA, Stand up for Placer, police and chaplaincies to distribute the Legos.When a child is being rescued from a domestic abuse situation, they may need to leave home quickly, often without many of their possessions. They can go to shelters and obtain clothes and toiletries, but not a transportable toy like Legos.
BrickDreams was founded in 2012 by Bailey Snow, now 18, of Granite Bay who began the project when he was a freshman in high school. In 2015 he left for college and passed the task of running and operating the charity to Lleyton, and his brother Kyle, with their mother Susan's supervision.
As Lego donations regularly come into the post office box from all over the country, the brothers are enlisting the help of the community at large, local schools, churches, 4-H clubs, and Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops to tackle the task of sorting. Placer County 4-H Clubs: Eureka Granite Bay, Gold Country, Loomis Community and Ophir have all taken part in working with BrickDreams.
To date, BrickDreams has donated almost 1,000 lbs of Legos. The charity hopes to involve more members of the Folsom community and to get 50% of the total Legos they have collected out in the month of January alone. More information about BrickDreams, along with information on how to volunteer, is available at www.brickdreams.org.