Local students honored for bringing optimism, joy to hospitalized children

Carmel Valley siblings Olivia and Kenneth DuPont were honored in a proclamation ceremony at the San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting on April 27 in recognition of their outstanding commitment to public service with their Optimistic Coloring Book Series and international gifting program.

Olivia, a sophomore at California Connections Academy, created her first Optimistic Coloring Book last June, combining inspirational quotes from famous leaders with cheerful illustrations, and gifted a digital copy to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Next, she gifted printed copies to 300 children with cancer at OAK’s (Oncology and Kids) Camp Reach for The Sky.

After reflecting upon the positive impact of these gifts, her older brother Kenneth, a senior, established a nationwide and global network of children’s hospitals with the goal of gifting Olivia’s coloring book series to as many hospitalized children as possible.

Kenneth’s international gifting program has made gifts of Olivia’s Optimistic Coloring Books to over 125 children’s hospitals across the United States and the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and the Philippines — bringing joy and hope to thousands of hospitalized children and their families.

To commend them for their outstanding commitment to the well-being of area residents, Chair Nathan Fletcher and all the San Diego County Board of Supervisors declared April 27, 2022, to be “Olivia and Kenneth DuPont Day” throughout San Diego County.

Separately, Olivia and Kenneth also recently earned Gold President’s Volunteer Service Awards and received letters from President Joe Biden commending them for their volunteer leadership.

For more information: www.optimsiticcoloringbooks.com.