SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A Scottsdale teen is one of 20 finalists for Nickelodeon and Time Magazine's "Kid of the Year." The initiative recognizes young leaders making a positive impact in their communities.
Dylan Campshaw, 14, was selected from 5,000 nominations. The top five nominees will be featured on a TV special hosted by Trevor Noah on December 5.
Capshaw is a freshman at Rancho Solano Preparatory School, but he's also found time to run two nonprofits and a business.
He started the Dylan Capshaw Wildlife Foundation in 2017.
"I'd always loved animals so I wanted to start saving them and raising money for other organizations to start helping them. I started with dogs, then hedgehog then lizards and then it got bigger and bigger," he said.
He runs the nonprofit from his Scottsdale home, where the rescued animals live.
"We have a kangaroo, I have prairie dogs, I have a chameleon, savannah monitors, exotic aviary, and a livestock aviary with turkey, geese, ducks, chicken, quails," he said.
Capshaw started his second nonprofit For the Frontline during the pandemic. He used his 3-D printer to create face shields and face masks for first responders.
"I found a template where I could 3D print a mask and turn one surgical mask into seven uses. And I started sending them all out. We sent over 3,000 care packages with PPE in them all over the country to first responders-- hospitals and police officers," said Capshaw.
Most recently, Capshaw's been working on a new business called The Sanitation Station. It's a vending machine filled with PPE and locally sourced food and drinks.
"Filled them up with masks, sunscreen, gloves hand sanitizer, everything you'd need. Talked to the Scottsdale Quarter and I'm getting it placed in the Scottsdale Quarter hopefully soon," he said.
Capshaw said it's an honor to be recognized nationally, and he hopes he can inspire other kids to do what they love.
"You don't have to be an adult to do anything. Right now, it's a blessing to have this time at home, we have so much time to do something. If someone has a passion or something you want to fix, do it," he said. "Helping animals and people I'd say is my big goal so whether I stick to these nonprofits or I start making new ones to make more of a difference, I just want to keep making a difference."
If you're interested in donating to Capshaw's nonprofits, click to learn more:
