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Mom collecting art supplies for hospital kids in son’s memory

Posted at 3:56 AM, Dec 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-21 03:57:59-05

BYRON CENTER, Mich. -- Ben Klooster spent more than half his life battling cancer, now his mother now hopes to share his passion with others.

Ben Klooster had just turned six, two weeks before he passed away from rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft and connective tissues.

Now, almost a year later, his mother is helping Ben's legacy live on by sharing his love for art with other kids at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

“He became very withdrawn in the hospitall” says Amy Klooster, Ben's mom. "He wouldn't talk to anybody, he wouldn’t answer questions, but art was something that he controlled and he enjoyed. It gave him a little bit of control back, which is something I think he needed,."

Klooster started called Ben’s Big Art Box,an arts and crafts supply drive  to run throughout his birthday month of December each year. More than 16 locations across West Michigan are collecting donations.

Bins at schools will be picked up before the holiday break, but the bins at local businesses will be out until December 31.

For more information, visit the Remembering Ben Facebook page.

You can drop donations off at the following locations:

Here’s a list of item they’re looking for: