The 11th annual Dr. Alexander Nesbitt Commitment to Caring Award was presented to Aly Creasy, a freshman from Hughesville Jr/Sr High School, who started a local nonprofit called Aly’s Monkey Movement when she was only 10 years old! The award ceremony occurred during an in-person Healthcare Decisions Day event on hospice and end-of-life care.

Aly Creasy is just like any other freshman girl in high school. She likes to play basketball, soccer and be outdoors. But what truly sets Aly apart from the rest of her peers is her astonishing ability to care for others. In 2019, Aly decided that for her 10th birthday, she wanted to do something different. She sacrificed a birthday party and gifts in exchange for donations to purchase as many monkeys as she could to hand out to boys and girls going through scary or difficult situations. Aly decided on monkeys because that's what she said she received from her Nana when she was in the hospital, and the cuddly, soft, stuffed monkey named Jack made her feel better.

Her initial goal was to give out 30 monkeys. She shattered that goal by giving out 154 monkeys! As of today, Aly’s Monkey Movement has distributed more than 8,500 monkeys worldwide! From Fairfield to Finland to Fiji, sweet and fuzzy smiles have been stretching around the globe to children and adults in need. They are distributed to emergency rooms, fire departments, same-day surgery centers, and even veterinary offices. Whether the person has experienced the loss of a loved one, or a diagnosis that leaves them hospitalized, or is a mom or dad anxiously gazing at their newborn through tubes and machines, the intention of the monkey is to provide the recipient with comfort and joy amidst their fear.

Aly’s Monkey Movement has become a family operation. Aly, her older brother, Tyler, and her younger sister, Tenley, help to tag monkeys and it’s estimated that Aly spends about 4-6 hours a week volunteering. Each monkey is given a name and comes with a tag encouraging recipients to post a selfie on the Aly’s Monkey Movement Facebook page. In the past, “monkey drops” have been organized at hospitals, clinics, fire departments, ambulance associations and more. UPMC providers have even deemed the month of July as “Monkey Month” in which they help raise funds to support this cuddly cause.

The movement has grown so large that the nonprofit has relied more and more on volunteers to help keep the monkey drops from happening. Penn College students have gotten involved in the preparation of monkeys by working to choose names and attaching nametags to each goofy-grinned monkey, so that they are ready for distribution. A few students even helped design and build a website that people from all over the world use to contact Aly’s Monkey Movement, so they can refer others who might be in need of receiving a stuffed monkey and the extra boost of compassion that comes with it.

Aly’s simple gesture of giving a stuffed monkey to a child or family going through a difficult time has blossomed into a full-grown movement. Her monkeys are the sunshine on a cloudy day. We are forever grateful for Aly’s humility and grace shown by her mission of changing the world one monkey at a time.

This expansive dedication to helping others and uniting the community is why Aly Creasy was selected this year as the recipient of the 11th annual Dr. Alexander Nesbitt Commitment to Caring Award.

The Dr. Alexander Nesbitt Commitment to Caring Award was developed by the elder care law firm of Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak in 2014. In his opening remarks, Dr. Nesbitt spoke about the award, and acknowledged the 2024 recipient.

“Our community wants to say a big thank you to people such as Aly who selflessly put the needs of others before their own and help brighten our world when skies get gray,” said Dr. Nesbitt.

According to Attorney Julie Steinbacher, the award, inspired by Dr. Nesbitt, recognizes an individual(s) or nonprofit in the community who shows an extraordinary commitment to caring that significantly improves the lives of others.