'It makes me happy:' 6-year-old collects cards for Miller Brewery employees



MILWAUKEE -- 6-year-old Allison Krueger wants Miller Brewery employees to know they are cared for by the community -- and 1,400 cards, one for every employee, is a tall task for just one person.

Allison Krueger



Thankfully, she had the help of many.

It's a simple gesture and likely bigger than any homework assignment she's ever had. But for Allison, it had to be done.

"It makes me happy to cheer people up, and I don't want them to feel sad anymore," she said.

And she didn't do it alone. At a Milwaukee Bell Ambulance station on Friday, Feb. 28 -- two days after the Miller Brewery Shooting -- help came in the form of reinforcements. The same men and women who responded to the shooting, now trying to help Miller employees through it.

Allison Krueger and Tom Wichgers



"I thought it was a neat thing for such a young person to have this awareness and want to reach out to people, so I felt like we could support her," said Tom Wichgers, a Marquette University police officer.

Tina Krueger



One handwritten card after another, people dropped off kind words for those they've never met.

"She's always been an empathetic kid, and she always wants to love her neighbors and help people out when they're sad or sick or anything. Honestly, it's her personality. She always wants to help people," Tina Krueger, Allison's mother, said.

It wasn't just police and paramedics -- therapy dogs also came to thank Allison for her efforts.



Tom Wichgers



"I think it's a remarkable reflection of the type of community we have," Wichgers said.

Hoping for a heart or a smiley face can help a community cope with tragedy.

"There's a lot of people there, so we need to help make more cards," said Allison.

They collected around 350 cards on Friday and will continue their work to gather and decorate more. If you would like to reach out to Allison's family to join in the effort, CLICK HERE for more information.