When Sammie Vance was eight, she learned about Buddy Benches from a video. The video showed the way these benches are 1 on playgrounds. "If somebody is 2 they can sit on the bench, " Sammie explains. "Another person can3 them and invite them to play. "
Sammie thought her school could use a Buddy Bench and provide a place for those 4 , so she and her mom set up a meeting with the headmaster. They learned of a local company that recycles plastic bottle caps into benches. Sammie liked the idea of a Buddy Bench that would help5 and the environment. Her headmaster liked the idea, too.
Sammie created a comic （漫画） that showed 6 a Buddy Bench works. She and her mom posted it on social media to ask friends and family to save caps. They also took the 7 to local businesses to ask for their help.
As word spread, collection bins at school and around the community were filled up 8 I got caps from 50 states in two months, " she says. She needed 400 pounds of caps to make one bench. The project 9 more than 1, 200 pounds!
After reaching the goal, Sammie set a new one—"Buddy Benches everywhere"!So far, she has had 10 caps to donate （捐赠） 100 benches to schools and organizations in 12 states. She continues to collect caps to share with kids working toward their own Buddy Benches.
