LAWRENCE, Kan. — Brothers Harrison and Bennett Leiszler from Lawrence, Kansas, have been paying it forward every Christmas season to help families. Since 2016, they have traveled to different street corners and played their violins to raise money.
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All the donations are used to purchase gifts for Toys for Tots. Throughout the years, they have raised over $10,000.
“It’s pretty fun. It’s a good feeling,” Harrison said. “Just to help families that are in need. Parents want their kids to have a good Christmas, and kids want to have a great Christmas, and so um, we just wanna help everybody out.”
The idea came from their dad several years ago. It was a way to combine their love for music and charity. Harrison started playing the violin when he was five, after being influenced by his dad and grandmother. His younger brother, Bennett, also plays and accompanies him during performances, but this is the first year he has opted for the piano instead.
“It makes it a lot more Christmas-y. It puts you in the Christmas spirit,” said Pam Hall, who watched their performance at the Lawrence Christmas Parade on Saturday morning.
She said seeing the boys has brought her hope for the future generation.
“We hear all the negative about young people, but I’ve got grandkids about his age and a little older. There’s some really good kids out there and it shows it with him being out here and doing that for charity,” Hall said.
From Jingle Bells to Silent Night, the brothers hope their tunes will inspire something in others.
“I hope that other people could do something helpful to spread the Christmas cheer, I guess,” Harrison said.
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