Fairmont girl's Holocaust remembrance bracelet campaign earns her a national young hero award

A 12-year-old Minnesota girl who has handed out more than 100,000 anti-hate bracelets is one of this year's Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes winners.

Natalie Flaherty, of Fairmont, founded I Stand With Anne, a campaign that aims to turn Holocaust remembrance into everyday action. The bracelets read "I Stand With Anne, Put a Stop to Hate."

Flaherty started the campaign when she was 10, after reading Anne Frank's diary, and handed out her first bracelets that Halloween, CBS affiliate KEYC reported. Her bracelets have since reached all 50 states and more than 50 countries. She has worked with museums, nonprofits and politicians to get them out, and her push to bring a sapling of the Anne Frank chestnut tree to her hometown led to one being planted near Fairmont's high school.

"It makes me feel really proud of myself," Flaherty told KEYC. She said the campaign started small and grew into something much bigger than she expected.

Twenty-five young leaders were chosen for this year's prize. The top 15 winners each receive $10,000, KEYC reported.

Flaherty and her mother told KEYC the money will go toward more bracelets, replenishing the college fund she drew on to pay for the campaign, and causes she supports, including the Anne Frank Center and the Fairmont Opera House.

The award was created by author T.A. Barron to honor people ages 8 to 18 who are making a positive difference.