Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lady Carrington Craig. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lady Carrington , appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

In December of 2012, I was four years old. My Aunt was having Christmas dinner with my family and me when she suddenly became sick. When my Mother and I went to the hospital to visit my Aunt, I saw a child being brought in from an ambulance. I asked my Mom whether Santa Clause delivered toys to children in the hospital. My Mom informed me that parents were more concerned with the gift of good health and the children may or may not receive Christmas toys. I asked my Mom if she could get the young boy a few toys (certainly not mine. lol) but toys from the store. My Mom told me that if I wanted to get him toys for me to figure out how I could. Our family was hosting a Christmas party and when guests called to discuss the party, I took the phone from my Mom and told each person to bring a toy. Every guest who showed up to our house had to give me a toy to enter. If they didn’t have a toy, I requested they go to the local Walgreens to get a toy. My Mom and I delivered toys to the local hospital on Christmas Eve and with the help of my family and friends, we have been hosting the Carrington and Friends annual toy drive ever since. Three years ago, I decided to add a scholarship fund to the foundation. My goal is to provide scholarship to middle schoolers who like me were born prematurely and interested in STEM. As of last weekend, I decided to add a scholarship to encourage girls of color to participate in race car driving. I hope to provide both scholarships next spring. Supporting others is always exciting to me.

Lady Carrington , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a rising high school freshman from a small suburb of Indianapolis, IN. I’m super excited to begin my high school journey this year. I was born 3 months early and was very blessed to have no issues. I currently play volleyball, tennis, and have recently entered into race car driving with a local team. I am most honored to give toys to children who will spend the holidays in the hospital and I look forward to providing scholarships in the very very near future. I plan to attend Howard University and major in engineering and minor in performing arts. My desire is to sing, dance, act, and become an aeronautical engineer. My Mom has worked so hard to make certain that I understand that I am extremely loved, blessed to be a blessing to others, and that the only limits put on me are those I place on myself. I know that BEYOND the sky is available to me. Hopefully, my foundation inspires others my age and younger to know that recognizing our strengths is great as long as we use it to support others to find their own strength.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The story of my life seems to show my resilience. Being born severely premature, I can remember in my early school years all of my teachers except 2 who said I should have been held behind at least a full year because I was not ready. I can remember hearing teachers say that even in front of me. My Mother reassured me every day and made sure I knew that I was better than the best and brighter than the brightest. I always wanted my father to be a part of my life. But when my Mom and he separated, he virtually disappeared and I did not have a connection to his family unless my Mom took me to them. I was very sad that he died. But then, I realized that I had to move on, get myself together and be the best Lady Carrington I possibly could be.

Can you talk to us about how you’re funded your business?

I fund my foundation strictly through donations and my Mom. I make appeals on my social media pages and request that our friends and family share with their networks. Donations typically come in during the holidays which is when I make my biggest push for requests or via popcorn sales through a company that gives half of the proceeds to my foundation.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @carringtonandfriends
• Facebook: carringtonstoydrive
• Linkedin: Lady Carrington Craig
• Twitter: carringtonfrenz

Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Faith Blackwell Photography