A TikTok influencer recently helped local families for the holidays.
Cincinnati native Heather Savage, also known as “Wild Mama’s Life” on TikTok, donated $10,500 in gifts to Mount Healthy Schools on Tuesday. Each grade 1-6 student picked an item for themselves and a loved one at the event. The teachers also received a surprise gift.
Savage, a Mount Healthy alum with more than 5 million followers, said it was easy to give back to the school district because of the significant impact she had on her childhood.
“There’s something different about Mount Healthy. There was something different when we went there. It was diverse. … Like it was one giant family, no matter who you were,” said Savage told The Enquirer. “It was super easy for me to want to give back to a place that shaped and molded who I was and am.”
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About 1,300 children participated in Tuesday’s event and 2,700 gifts were given out, all handpicked by Savage. She said a generous anonymous follower provided most of the funds.
“So I go on my live, we’re collecting donations…and somebody donated $10,000. He said, ‘I can support this,'” she explained.
The Santa’s workshop type idea was inspired by a similar event Savage attended as a child. Her experience of growing up in a working family and being a single mother motivated her to give back to other parents and guardians.
“I really didn’t care if they knew if it was from me. I wanted it from their child, and they would know that some random person was kind enough to think of me,” she said. declared.
The influencer, known for his comedic reaction videos and viral dances, also hosted a live fundraiser for children in need through a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in November.
The Enquirer interviewed Savage, a die-hard Cincinnati Bengals fan, on his knowledge of the Bengals. Find out how she got away with it our TikTok under.