Boy raises thousands for Surf City turtles in DC

SURF CITY, NC (WWAY) — A zip lock bag full of hundreds of dollar bills is saving some turtles in Surf City.

An eight-year-old boy raises that money outside of a Starbucks in Washington DC for the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue every year.

“Would you like to help save the turtles by donating money to the turtle hospital on Topsail Island?” Grayson Houston-Henderson asked.

That’s the question Grayson Houston-Henderson asked people in Washington DC every weekend, every summer.

“I saw a nest hatch and I wanted to start helping the hospital that made that happen,” Grayson said.

His mom Kourtney Houston said as soon as they left the Turtle Rescue after their first visit, it all spiraled up from there.

“He was four, so we thought, ‘Well, will it go or will it not go?'” Houston said. “He asked that summer, ‘Are we going to raise money for the turtle hospital?’ So, we said, ‘oh! Okay.'”

Then, Grayson got out his guitar in front of his house on Capitol Hill.

“He played ‘Twinkle, Twinkle,'” Houston said.

That next summer, Grayson brought a zip lock bag with more than $400 to Director Jean Beasley.

“He has chosen the sea turtles as his animal, just as I have,” Beasley said.

Beasley said Grayson has an incredible self confidence.

“He does not hesitate to walk up to anyone and say, ‘Did you know that there is a problem with our oceans and our ocean critters?'” Beasley said.

Each summer Grayson’s turtle stand grew with posters, stuffed animals, food and his own knowledge.

“I tell them they’re getting shot, they’re getting polluted, the nets are catching them,” Grayson said.

He said it’s not always easy convincing other people.

“Most of the time when I go to starbucks, it’s always ‘No, no,'” Grayson said. “They act like they’re deaf.”

That never stopped him. This year, Grayson brought Beasley that zip lock bag with more than $2,000.

“What I said to him was, ‘Grayson I love you. You could be one of the people who saves the world,'” Beasley said.

Grayson said the world is next, because his family is moving to Paris and his turtle stand is going too.

“We’ll be back in July and hopefully he’ll have his funds that he’s raised, his Euros,” Houston said.

Click here to learn more about the Karen Beasley Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. If you want to help Grayson’s own sea turtle fund, email him at Savethetopsailturtles@gmail.com.