By CAROLINE CARMICHAEL / Staff Writer

Four-year-old Holden Roberts of Jemison touched many hearts mid-September with a pumpkin patch fundraiser benefitting hurricane victims in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.

He raised $400, which he donated in full to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.

According to his mother, Julie Roberts, Holden had seen the hurricane damage on TV and wanted to do something about it.

His first idea was to send toys to the children who lost theirs.

“We had been watching the weather channel. He had seen so many pictures,” Julie Roberts said. “We saw a house where they had lost everything, and you could see the toys were in the water.”

Holden first offered to send his sister’s toys, and then some of his own toys he didn’t play with anymore, Roberts said.

Roberts said she had explained to Holden that there were more immediate needs that might be more practical to contribute to.

“We thought it would be a good learning experience for him to, you know, find a way to help him raise some money,” Roberts said.

That’s when the family came up with the pumpkin patch idea.

“We went and picked up pumpkins while he was at school one day, and then we got home [and] he helped us get them all out and set them up,” Roberts said.

Holden and his family hosted the pumpkin patch on Sept. 23 in their front yard, located along County Road 42.

“He worked the pumpkin patch all day with his dad,” Roberts said.

The approximate 60 pumpkins sold out, with just two remaining for Holden and his sister to enjoy.

“We had a lot of friends, a lot of church family come,” Roberts said.

Holden and Roberts personally delivered the $400 check to church friend and Director of Chilton Baptist Association Dr. Larry Felkins, who forwarded the check to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.

“All of that goes strictly 100 percent to disaster relief,” Felkins said. He said the money is already at work.

“It was pretty neat when they brought his check down. He’s a typical 4-year-old little boy,” Felkins said, describing Holden as well-behaved and active.

“I wasn’t shocked, but I was real pleased and touched by the fact he wanted to do something and was persistent about doing that,” Felkins said.