Max Woosey – 11 Year Old Camps Out 500 Straight Nights to Help Others
Max Woosey, an 11-year-old from the United Kingdom, has spent his time during COVID doing something pretty meaningful. And hard. He slept in a tent for over 500 nights in a row. And he did this not only because he loves the outdoors but in service to others. Who is Max and why did he do this? Lets find out.
Max loves to play rugby and enjoys being outside. He is a Cub Scout and his father is a Royal Marine, so he has grit and a love of the outdoors in his blood.
Max’s family was looking after their neighbor, Rick, who was dying of cancer. Before Rick passed away he gave Max a tent and had him promise to have an adventure.
So, after Rick died, Max had an idea. He decided he wanted to raise money for the North Devon Hospice, which cared for Rick in his final days. When the first lockdown happened, Max had realized that much of the hospice’s fundraising also came to a halt. But there was no change in the number of people who needed their help. He set a goal to raise 100 Pounds by camping out in his garden.
On March 29th, 2020 Max started his camping adventure in Rick’s tent. He was joined by his dog and a few stuffed animals to keep him company. As he passed hundreds of days camping out, he attracted national attention from the media and even the Prime Minister, who paid him a visit!
Now, 500 days later, he is still camping! Through storms, rain, high winds, cold and ripped tents, he persevered. The lessons his dad taught him from the Royal Marines, to never give up, show kindness, integrity and try hard (KIT) helped sustain him in touch times.
In all, Max has raised more than 750,000 Pounds for the North Devon Hospice! This made up for about half of the donations they had lost for the year!
Max even organized a huge camp out to show people what children can achieve if they all work together. On his one-year anniversary, about 1,000 children joined Max in a “big camp-out” from as far away as North America and Singapore.
Max has shown the power of caring and determination to help others in need. Check out this video with more about his inspiring story below.
Additional Resources
- Here is an interview with Max from famed adventurer Bear Grylls website
- Check out other inspiring stories and videos from IMK about friendship and caring
- Explore our inspiring friendship quotes and kindness quotes
Topics for Discussion:
- What character traits does Max exhibit?
- What is the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for you? How did it make you feel?
- What is the nicest thing you have ever done for another person? How did it make you feel?
Take Action:
- Do you have a friend or family member in need? How are you helping them now? Is there anything more you can do? Dream it and do it.
