Most kids look forward to getting gifts on their birthday, but Kaydence Cluff looks forward to giving her presents away.

According to Kaydence’s mom, Kasey Cluff, the 9-year-old Pocatellan first decided to donate her gifts to charity about two years ago, on her eighth birthday.

“I felt just pure pride,” Kasey said of her daughter’s decision. “It’s a proud parent moment to know that your child wants to give, not receive.”

Kaydence told her parents that instead of presents, she wanted her friends and family to give her unwrapped toys that she could donate to other kids.

“I know a lot of kids don’t get presents,” Kaydence said, “and I just wanted to make a difference and help other kids get toys.”

Kasey said she decided to have Kaydence donate the toys to Toys for Tots, as that was the first charity that came to her mind. However, Kaydence said she has bigger plans for the future.

“Next year I’m thinking of doing Toys for Tots and the children’s hospital,” she said.

This year, for her ninth birthday, Kaydence said she was able to donate about two times as many toys as she did the year before.

She also spent about $125 of her own birthday money this year to buy toys on Black Friday, ranging from baby dolls for younger children to remote control cars and scooters for older children.

Kaydence dropped all the gifts off at the Toys for Tots donation center at Courtesy Ford in Pocatello.

Courtesy Ford posted a photo of Kaydence and the presents on their Facebook page, expressing their pride and gratitude for her, adding that Kaydence wanted to publicly challenge other kids in the community to give back.

“This little girl has a special place in our hearts,” the Facebook post said. “Thank you for the wonderful donation today, Kaydence! You are a very admirable little girl and not only do you make us proud, I’m sure you make your parents proud as well!”

Kaydence said she has no plans of stopping.

“I’m going to try to do it every year and give more every year,” she said. “That’s my goal.”

According to Kasey, Kaydence has always enjoyed doing things for others.

“She’s just always been so giving,” she said. “She always wants to buy and do things for other people. We’re certainly proud of her.”

And though Kaydence donated all her birthday money and had family members buy presents to be donated rather than presents for her, she didn’t wind up completely empty handed.

“I told them they could also bring a present for me if they wanted to,” Kaydence said. “But that’s their choice.”