Ormond Beach middle school student donates $1,000 to injured sheriff's K-9s

Volusia County sheriff's K-9 deputies A.J. Davis and Brett Whitson said that if their police dogs Ax and Endo could talk, they would say "Thank you" to Ormond Beach Middle School student Peyton Lilly.

And as if on cue, the German Shepherd police dogs whined and barked excitedly as Peyton handed Sheriff Mike Chitwood a $1,000 check for the Volusia County Sherriff's Office Foundation at the Stephen Saboda Training Center in Daytona Beach on Wednesday.

The K-9s were shot while pursuing Shedrick Singleton, 21, of Orlando, a suspected carjacker, who tried to get away from deputies in Deltona in the early morning hours of Sept. 11.

Endo, 10, has since retired. Ax has recovered fully and is back on active duty, Davis said.

Peyton, 12, raised money by selling COVID face masks she handmade.

"Wow! It's absolutely amazing," Chitwood said. "Peyton wanted to do her little bit to help soften their (K-9s) injuries."

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Peyton made the face coverings during her spare time, learning to sew

Peyton, who was homeschooled during the COVID-19 pandemic, said she had some extra time so she taught herself to sew. In September 2020, she started making face coverings for COVID reasons and made at least 250 of them.

"I wanted to sell masks for some extra income but I saved 10% to donate to a humane society somewhere, but I learned about these two, and this is where I decided to put my money," the soft-spoken middle schooler said.

Peyton's mother, Christel Lilly, said Peyton's grandmother came to Florida from North Carolina last year to help homeschool her granddaughter. It was during that time that Peyton said she wanted to learn to sew. So they got her a sewing machine and in 30 minutes she learned how to use it.

Peyton did a YouTube search on how to make protective face masks and started sewing them. Christel Lilly posted on Facebook that her daughter was selling the masks and her friends started buying them, she said.

"It took her 45 minutes per mask and she made over 250, so it took her a good 8 months working every single day," Christel Lilly said. "They were all custom ordered. She sent them to Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, all over."

Along with the $1,000 check she gifted to the Volusia County Sheriff' Office on Wednesday, Peyton also presented, Chitwood, Davis and Whitson with face masks and matching bandanas for the K-9 partners.

Davis said he was moved by Peyton's generosity and couldn't find the words to express how grateful he was for her gesture to his partner.

"It's pretty amazing to see. You know, in the world today, with everything you hear on our side of the negativity, to see this positivity especially from a young child, it makes you feel good," Davis said. "It makes you feel like there is still a purpose in your job."

"This is selflessness, you know, that's a lot of money for a child," Whitson said. "She raised that money. She earned it and then for her to give it back for something like this, it is a very good gesture."

Chitwood said that often when law enforcement interacts with children it's under adverse circumstances, but Peyton's selfless act gives the world hope.

"She took a bunch of lemons being in lockdown, homeschooled because of COVID, taught herself a new craft and then wanted to raise money for a good cause," Chitwood said.

For Peyton, donating the money to the K-9s was something she wanted to do and is grateful that the dogs are doing well, she said.

"I am happy that I am able to help them a bit. And I am very happy that they recovered from their injuries," Peyton said.

The 12-year-old was excited to meet the K-9s on Wednesday and pet them.

Christel Lilly brimmed with pride as she saw her daughter hand the check to Chitwood.

"I am beyond proud of her. She warms my heart," Christel Lilly said.

And what was sewing more than 250 face masks like?

"It was tiring," Peyton said. "It took a lot of my time. It was very tiring."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Injured police dogs benefit from Ormond middle schooler's gift