When Aly Creasy of Hughesville began to think about how she wanted to celebrate her 10th birthday, she wasn’t thinking about balloons, cake, or presents for herself. Instead, Aly decided she wanted to help those in need. She thought back to a time when she was struggling and realized she wanted to help other children who may need a friend to hug when they were feeling scared or lonely.

Three years ago, Aly found herself in the emergency room at Muncy Hospital. She was nervous and scared, and that is when her Nana gave her a stuffed monkey, which Aly named “Jack.” “She was given a comfort that even I couldn’t give her in the midst of multiple blood tests, scans, and unknowns,” said Aly’s mother, Kristy. Jack has been with Aly ever since.

This inspired her birthday wish, which all started last year at this time. Aly decided for her 10th birthday that she would raise enough money to purchase 30 monkeys at the cost of $20 each to give to sick children in the hospital. That goal quickly escalated to over 150 monkeys. As the year progressed, she continued to provide monkeys to area hospitals, fire departments, and other facilities. By personal requests, some have reached states as far away as Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, and Nebraska.

When a child receives a monkey to soothe whatever fear or hard time they are facing, they are invited back to Aly’s Monkey Movement Facebook page to share a selfie with their monkey. Monkeys are tagged and given a name in honor of their sponsor or sometimes in memory of someone on behalf of their sponsors. The monkeys are delivered by Aly herself or her ‘Monkey Movers.’ Monkey Movers are volunteers who offer to be the hands and feet that deliver the monkey to the child in need. Aly has donated over 850 Monkeys since March of 2019. This past December, Aly set a new goal to purchase and deliver 1,500 additional monkeys by April 1, 2020 (Her 11th birthday). To date, she has acquired 645 of her 1,500 monkey goal.

The family has seen the community really pitching in. More and more people are volunteering to distribute monkeys to kids in need, and people are becoming invested emotionally, spiritually, physically. This has motivated the Creasys to take the next step and are currently in the process of turning Aly’s Monkey Movement into a not-for-profit organization.

“Aly’s Monkey Movement means a lot to me because it is helping make the world a better place,” said Aly.

The monkeys are intended for any child in distress. Kids that lose a parent, an animal, or that are going to a funeral. Children getting a medical procedure or that are in the hospital. Any kind of trauma. Monkeys go to anyone that requests one for a child. No questions asked.

When asked why she and her family continue to be involved with this project, Aly’s mom Kristy said, “When a child receives a monkey in the midst of fear or trauma, a connection and comfort is made, that others can’t fulfill. I know because that is how it all started with Aly and her first monkey Jack”.

Shelly Sheets (a Monkey Mover) shared, “Being able to give one of Aly’s Monkeys to a sick child made me feel like I was giving a brief moment of joy, love, hope, and life for us both to share.”

On February 13th, 10-year-old Aly and her mother Kristy stopped in the Muncy/Hughesville Jersey Shore State Bank Branch to accept a $250 donation to go towards “Aly’s Monkey Movement.” Jerry Seman, President of JSSB Mortgage Services knew this was a special movement he wanted to be part of. “I was so impressed with Aly and what she has accomplished, and I know she will continue to bring joy and comfort to many children and their families.”

If you would like to donate to Aly’s Monkey Movement, you can go to http://www.alysmonkeys.com or connect with the Creasy’s on their Facebook page: Aly’s Monkey Movement.