Three year old carrying on cousin’s noble mission

by Dan McClelland

Three year old Aaryn Dukette has already found the true meaning of Christmas.

He is the son of Cierra and Austin Dukette of this village, and he has a mission!

Despite his young age the youngster is carrying on a tradition started by his older cousin, the late Tai McLear- making sure sick children too have plenty of gifts at Christmas.

Aaryn’s grandfather is Ian McLear, whose sister is Cam McLear, Tai’s mother.

Tai’s Legacy Toy Drive was founded by Tai’s family and friends. Tai McLear passed away on July 1, 2023. So Aaryn never knew his cousin, only the good work he did in his relatively short lifetime.

Tai was a lifetime resident of New York until he moved to Raleigh, NC in 2013 along with his grandparents Francine and Kevin McLear. When Tai lived in New York he spent most of his holidays and birthdays at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital. Tai always enjoyed spreading happiness and joy to others, so with that being said his family and friends are doing a toy drive in his name to keep his legacy going. “Tai’s Legacy Toy Drive” our mission is to deliver joy and toys to the children spending their holidays in the hospital. Austin and Cierra Dukette’s son Aaryn Dukette has been a major part in making sure Tai’s noble mission continues.

Aaryn was diagnosed with autism back in August of 2023 and found a hobby with beading and making his crafts to calm him.

His family took these masterpieces to the two Kids Row events this fall at the town’s Oktupperfest and recently at Spruce and Hemlock and to various craft fairs to earn money for the University of Vermont’s children's hospital to buy toys for the children who are there this Christmas.

“Our little entrepreneur made this happen with his charming little smile and that adorable little bow tie everyone loves,” his mother Cierra said this week. “We would like to stop and thank everyone who has donated to this event and helped make this happen. Our hope is to keep Tai’s legacy going by raising money to sustain it every year.”

“My husband and I were recently talking about Aaryn’s diagnosis and his love of beading and doing crafts, and his eagerness to sell them. So we thought what better way to acknowledge Tai’s legacy than to raise money to keep it going.”

“We were at the Vermont hospital looking at all the sick children there when our youngest son, Gunner, was a patient briefly with some stomach issues.” Cierra said it was heart-wrenching.

Tai was a victim of muscular dystrophy and several other diseases and lived into his twenties, defying all odds.

“We wanted to carry on his tradition and the good work he did,” Cierra said of her son and their family’s aim.

Aaryn and his great aunt, Cam, were selling bracelets, pens and ornaments he makes- and they sold well. Each of Aaryn’s items were inscribed with “Tai’s Toy Drive.”

So far this year Aaryn has sold over $250 of his homemade products and all that money went for toys for the children in the Vermont hospital this month.

The family also had donation boxes around the community for Tai’s Toy Drive.

“Right now we have four large boxes of toys that we’re taking there,” she said before their recent trip last week.

The way the program works, the hospital staff lays all the donated toys out in sort of a mini-supermarket and the parents of the children “go shopping” and select toys appropriate for them.

Many of the children there have spent most of their lives there.

“It make us think how fortunate we are as parents that our child got to go home, when so many other children can’t.”

Cierra said her son really enjoyed being part of the two Kids Row events and meeting all the people who came to shop at his booth and the booths of other local children. Both events were organized by Hayley LaLonde.

His mom said he plans to be at every one here in the future- as one of Tupper’s youngest entrepreneurs. Aaryn is also getting a head start in arithmetic and he’s developed skills at making change at his booth.

“We’re so proud of Aaryn...the little guy has put a lot of work into this and already understands how important it is to help others!”