Meet Charleigh, 10, Pasleigh, 9, and Sawyer, 5, the winners of OMK’s Courageous Kids of 2020 Contest in the U.S. Air Force Reserve category! Charleigh, Pasleigh, and Sawyer are the children of United States Air Force Reservist Clark Schwartz, who served overseas in 2020.

“During the absence of her father, Paisleigh remained resilient and courageous,” said the siblings’ mother, Summer. “She decided to contribute to her community by starting a lanyard service that helped people wear their protective mask more comfortably and stylishly. She called her service #GracefullyThreaded, as her middle name is Grace. Paisleigh made many lanyards for her teachers and friends at school and customized them per request.”

“Charleigh stepped up as the oldest child, helping through what was far from a normal deployment,” said Summer. “Her father deployed a few short days before her sports, school, and community would be shut down for the pandemic. She never allowed worry to consume her. She saw the need for strength and leadership for her two younger siblings without any hesitation or request from her mom. She continued to dig down and excel in academics and basketball, which landed her an invitation to represent her county on an All-Star #basketball team.”

“Sawyer took on the role of ‘man of the house,’ assisting and being helpful to his mother and sisters in any way he could,” said Summer. “Sawyer worked alongside his sisters as they handmade mask lanyards for teachers and friends at school, as well as others in the community. Sawyer is a great student, leader, role model, son, and sibling to his two older sisters. He always has a positive attitude and is always thoughtful of others before himself.”

Thank you for helping us to celebrate the #MonthOfTheMilitaryChild by recognizing some incredible military children throughout April! You can read each Courageous Kids of 2020 story here: https://www.ourmilitarykids.org/contest-winners