This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It started when the Harlem Globetrotters came to Utah in 2012.
Sandy residents Colleen and Brandon Leonard took their children to the game and, while they didn't realize it at the time, parking near the Utah Jazz arena and walking through the huddled crowds of homeless people who congregate in the area awakened something inside their then-7-year-old daughter, Alia.
Soon after that downtown excursion, Alia started to cry during her younger sister's birthday party.
"I asked her why she was sad and her answer stunned me," Colleen recalled. "She said how can she be happy when she knows that there are children out there celebrating their birthdays and they don't even have enough clothes to wear. She then stated she wanted all homeless children to know what it is like to be loved on their birthday."
That sentiment led to the launch of a charity that has grown every year since and has given "birthday" presents to hundreds of homeless and underprivileged children in the Salt Lake Valley.
Colleen had a friend who volunteered at the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake and learned the basic needs of kids at the homeless shelter.
With that information, Colleen then helped Alia devise what kind of presents she would assemble for the youngsters. These "birthday bags" included shampoo, a toothbrush, toothpaste, trail mix, socks and a small toy.
That first year, after raising enough money to put together the kits, Alia went to Pioneer Park, where an Easter picnic was being held, and handed out 100 bags.
"It just made me feel so good," Alia said. "There were kids in the park who were homeless, too. "I handed out kits to them, and it just made me so happy."
Goodbye, tears. Hello, smiles.
She mustered the money several ways — hitting up her father's co-workers, fellow members of her nondenominational City Church, as well as the local Mormon ward, where her neighbor invited her to speak and inspire that congregation to make her charity a monthly service project.
She went door to door in her neighborhood, sold lemonade and staged bake sales.
Since that debut, she has expanded her charity operation every year. She goes to the shelter from time to time and hands out gifts. Last year, she gave away 119 winter gift bags; each included a coat, hat, boots and mittens.
Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan has named Alia a Citizen of Merit.
Now, at age 11, her objective is even more ambitious.
She has been raising money for backpacks filled with school supplies for students at her chosen Title I school, Salt Lake City's Bennion Elementary.
She has put together more than 300 backpacks and hopes to raise thousands of dollars more to expand the effort.
On Wednesday, she and her mother went to Bennion, delivering the backpacks and supplies classroom to classroom.
"It was so cool," Alia said. "It was a surprise. None of the kids knew about it. Only the principal knew."
Alia has a Facebook page and a blog link under the name of her charity, http://simply7birthdaybags.blogspot.com/. Her gofundme page can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/simply7birthdaybag.
She plans to keep going for as long as she can — and that could be awhile. She's not even 12 yet.