A 12-year-old boy from Dubuque is using his painting skills to raise money for charity. And you'll be amazed at how much he's already raised.

I first met then 9 year old Arsh Pal of Dubuque at a kid's talent show hosted by the Dubuque Sertoma club at the Bell Tower Theatre in Dubuque. It was June of 2019 and I was the host of Sertoma's "Kids Got Talent".  I was excited to see so many talented youngsters from the tri-state area compete. Everything from singers and dancers to magicians and artists.

But I have to admit, I was intrigued by Arsh.  Not only was he a great artist at only 9 yers old, but he also did a complete painting right before our eyes in less than 5 minutes, the maximum time allowed to contestants.  I haven't seen Arsh since that night, but I knew then he had a great talent and a gift.  And I knew he would do well in the future

As you can see and hear in the video below, Arsh is now 12 years old.  He says he started painting four years ago at the age of 8.  Back then he says he set a goal to use his art to raise $1,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  Arsh was able to raise that $1000 rather quickly and has since raised over $15,000 for St. Jude and other charities.

If you watched the entire video you know that Arsh has been recognized for his charitable work with the prestigious Diana Award, named in honor of the late Princess Diana.

Anytime I find myself thinking the world is in trouble when this generation takes over the world, I'm going to instead think about 12-year-old Arsh, and other kids like him.  Hopefully, that will help ease my concerns going forward.