Ty Morris, 9, sent letters to local dentist offices and spoke to the Cedar Park Christian School student body in the hopes of collecting toothbrushes to take with him on a trip to Haiti this April.

On Morris’ last trip to Haiti, through the organization Hope for Haiti, he saw a need for toothbrushes in the local communities. He wanted to give the kids something physical to show them that God cares.

“I saw that many kids in Haiti don’t have access to dental care and it made me sad,” Morris said. “Then God gave me an idea of how I could help them.”

With the assistance of the elementary All Student Body officers at his school, Morris set up a challenge in each classroom to see who could bring in the most toothbrushes. His goal was to collect around 3,000 toothbrushes.

“But I ended up [doubling] my goal,” Morris said, smiling.

Morris collected 6,200 toothbrushes.

“We are really excited at the kindness and generosity being displayed by the students and parents at our school, as well as local dentists who have donated items,” said LaWonna Kerr, Morris’ fourth grade teacher. “We feel very blessed to be a part of sharing God’s love in such a tangible way.”

Morris’ mother Glynis Morris said Ty didn’t initially intend to ask for help.

“He was determined to meet his goal and was doing everything himself,” she said. “But he was so passionate about it his teacher and other students just hopped on board with him.”

Kerr believes Ty’s toothbrush project ended up being a great learning experience for the students at the school.

“We are all privileged in this country, so it’s great for kids to do something like this because it makes them count their blessings and think about other people,” she said. “Ty inspired us and showed us the power behind an idea.”