We’re excited to announce the winner of our July, 2025 Matt Kurtz Kindness Grant for her wonderful kindness project. The grant was given by Matt’s Kindness Ripples On (MKRO), an organization that encourages acts of kindness by helping people who have ideas for kindness projects but lack the funding to follow through on those ideas.
Congratulations to Holly Christensen!
She will receive a grant to help fund her acts of kindness project.
Holly Christensen (Anchorage, AK) never imagined that a simple act of kindness would spark a global movement. As an oncology nurse, she had seen firsthand the heartbreak and hardship cancer brings, especially to children. But in 2014, when a close friend’s young daughter was diagnosed with cancer, Holly was struck with an urgent desire to help.
Knowing the pain and fear that often accompany hair loss for young patients, Holly handcrafted a Rapunzel yarn wig for her friend’s daughter. When it arrived, she lit up with joy, twirling in her dress, her long braid bouncing behind her. In that magical moment, she wasn’t just a cancer patient; she was a princess again. The transformation was so profound that Holly’s friend remarked how many other children could benefit from such a simple, joy-giving gift.
That spark of an idea became The Magic Yarn Project.
Initially, Holly envisioned making just a few dozen wigs. She posted a request for yarn donations on Facebook. Within hours, her inbox was overflowing. Offers of help poured in from around the globe – parents, hospital workers, volunteers and even strangers – compelled by the mission. What started as a one-time gesture quickly evolved into something much greater than she ever anticipated.
Holly converted her one-car garage in Alaska into a workshop, pulling her three young children into the project to help cut and wind yarn. “It’s been so rewarding to see my children learn to reach beyond themselves,” she says. “They see these pictures of girls who are so ill, and it gives them such a sense of compassion.”
Since 2015, The Magic Yarn Project has delivered thousands of wigs to children with medical hair loss across the world. It has blossomed into a full-fledged nonprofit with more than 300,000 volunteer hours logged. Wig-making workshops are held in schools, churches and even prisons, where incarcerated women have crocheted hundreds of beanies and now help create full wigs.
The movement has inspired all walks of life. In Seattle, a member of the Seahawks once joined a workshop to make an Elsa wig for a young fan. From grandmothers to teenagers, the project has united communities around a shared goal: bringing joy to children facing the darkest of days.
“There are moments,” Holly admits, “when a little voice inside says, ‘These are just wigs.’ But then we get the emails from families who tell us their child smiled again, or that she was buried in her favorite wig. And I know, it matters.”
What began as a single wig has become a symbol of resilience, love and imagination. For the children who receive them, these wigs aren’t just costumes; they’re armor, helping them face hospital visits and treatments with courage and joy. And for their families, each handmade gift is a reminder that they are not alone; that a network of caring strangers is standing beside them. Holly’s vision continues to weave magic across the globe, one strand of yarn and one spark of hope at a time.
This grant is given in honor of Matt Kurtz, (1985-2017), a young man whose personal philosophy was to live an honorable, compassionate and non-judgmental life. To give for the sake of giving, to expect nothing in return, to be aware of the world around him and to step in to help others without being asked whenever he saw the need. Matt believed in the ripple effect of a simple act of kindness – like a pebble dropped in water, it goes on and on. You can find out more about how Matt lived his life, examples of his many acts of kindness, big and small, and why this grant was created on MattsKindnessRipplesOn.com.
