Davis Fourth Grader Sending 3,000 Books To Start Library In Botswana

DAVIS (CBS13) — A Davis fourth grader's philanthropic endeavor is helping start a library in a poor African village.

The children with the angelic voices in Shelley Chappell's music class has someone new to live up to.

Yes, they're very fond of the nice lady whose fingers dance over the keyboard, but the new object of their blossoming respect is actually a fellow student.

Meet Zane Pickus, 9, a friend to many and a philanthropic phenom at North Davis Elementary School.

"It feels good to help others," he said.

He did a lot of cleaning, dog walking, watering, and weeding to raise nearly $500 to send 3,000 donated books to help start a library in a village in Botswana.

"If I think about Zane too much, I get too emotional, because he's a good guy," Chappell said. "He's going to be one of the good guys, and he's got a heart that's just crazy huge."

So how does a soon to be 10-year-old learn to have such a huge heart?

"It's pretty easy, actually," he said.

And the answer to why he did it is as simple as it is strong.

"Probably the fact that I had a chance," he said. "You don't get a ton of chances like this."

A chance to give, providing us with a chance to learn from a young boy whose story is music to our ears, and a living example of the human spirit.

Thanks to the efforts of Pickus and everyone who donated, the 3,000 books will be on their way to Botswana in mid-December and should arrive by January.