Alawna Eldredge, an elementary school teacher in Roosevelt, launched a "pennies for pencils" fund-raising campaign. Students were asked to donate pennies to buy pencils for the students in Kenya. Students soon started bringing their pillow cases to school filled with pennies. The school raised enough money buy hundreds of pencils. Eldredge will be among those who travel with Cowan to Kenya for the dedication.

The Jewish Community Center was also key in raising money, as was Kielburger himself. Cowan said Kielburger interrupted a trip to India with former President Bill Clinton to speak at one of those fund-raisers in Salt Lake City for free and then turned around the next day to resume his trip with Clinton.

"The support we had was amazing," Cowan said.

The Wesley Smiles Foundation and Free the Children were able to raise so much money that Cowan, who originally planned on opening one school, will be dedicating two schools next week. Furthermore, every school will be completely stocked with supplies and a library and the town will receive a water treatment facility and wash rooms.

The fund-raising has been so successful that Cowan now plans on opening at least one school in some part of the world every year on Wesley's "graduation day" until "the day I die," he said.

One single donor recently paid for a Wesley school to be built in Sierra Leone, Cowan said. In 2008, he plans to travel to China for the dedication of a fourth school.

The schools will be named after Wesley. In Kenya, the dedication plaque on the building will read, "Schule ya Wesley Cowan." Under the school's name will be the motto of the foundation, "Be Happy Every Day."

"(Wesley) was the happiest, most cheerful boy. Every day he would tell everyone to, 'Be happy, every day,"' Cowan said.

For Cowan and Wesley's mother, Stephanie Martinsen, the foundation and the dedication of schools has been a way to help not only others in need but also themselves.

"Everyone in this situation is finding their own way out of the darkness of it. This process has proved to me that people are good. From wealthy people to people who don't have a ton to donate to those who donate a dollar at a yard sale. I'm finding my way out of this through the kindness of others and will bring back proof that what Utahns did mattered — to not only my life but to others," he said.

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E-mail: preavy@desnews.com