One Lincoln boy is getting the chance of a lifetime to be featured on a national TV show and it’s all because of his community involvement.

Brian Furrer, 10, will be featured Monday on the “Rachael Ray Show” for organizing two annual canned-food drives benefiting the Salt Mine. The second drive was in September.

“It’s pretty cool because most kids our age don’t get as big of an opportunity as that,” said Jaida Sandhu, 10, one of Brian’s fifth-grade classmates at First Street School. “He had to really work for it, too,”

Drake Hipe, 10, another of Brian’s classmates who also helped collect food from classrooms when the food drive ended, said “it’s cool” that Brian is going on the “Rachael Ray Show.”

The “Rachael Ray Show” is a daytime talk show featuring Rachael Ray, a television personality who has been featured on the Food Network and has produced several cookbooks.

According to Brian’s father, Dave Furrer, he and Brian flew to New York City on Saturday and the taping was on Tuesday.

Last Thursday, a TV crew taped Brian in Lincoln – at the Salt Mine’s food bank and then at his house.

“He’s very excited to go to New York,” Dave Furrer said. “He shares our thought that it’s not a big deal. He’s just helping others.”

His mother, Terri Furrer, said a producer of the show contacted her around Halloween about Brian after seeing an article about the canned food drive on the News Messenger Web site.

“Producers found out about Brian’s story through an Internet search looking for kids who give back,” “Rachael Ray Show” associate producer Stefanie Javorsky said. “Brian’s work fit perfectly in the show’s ‘Eggboard’ series that highlights incredible kids and adults doing positive things with food and their community.”

Terri Furrer was surprised about the show contacting her.

“She calls and starts asking question about Brian because of the article and I asked, ‘Who is this?’” Terri Furrer said. “She explained she was from the ‘Rachael Ray Show’ and said she was interested in doing a story about Brian.”

The News Messenger asked Brian at last week’s Lincoln taping what his thoughts were on being featured on the Rachael Ray Show.

“I’m really excited to go on the show,” Brian said. “I’m sort of nervous but I think it’s going to be scripted.”

When he found out that the producers of Rachael Ray wanted him to be on the show, Brian said he was “too excited to talk.”

“I think it’s cool because he worked really hard, and he participates in the city’s events and with community service,” said Cheyanne Calhoun, 10, another classmate of Brian’s. “He really deserves this and congrats to that.”

Brian said he “felt surprised” when asked to be on the show because he “thought helping others is something a lot of people did.”

“It feels really good because some people are in more need than I am,” Brian said. “I know that from working at the food bank.”

Brian and his mother have both volunteered at the food bank the past two summers.

Last week, the crew filmed Brian packing boxes of food for the needy, which is something he would normally do when volunteering at the Salt Mine.

Eric Long, one of the Salt Mine’s two pastors, attended the taping.

“I think the biggest thing is exposure,” Long said when asked about the filming at the food bank. “The more people that know what we do can help.”

Long said that Brian is “an anomaly of a young man when it comes to giving of himself.”

“Brian is an example of a boy who is able to give what he has to the multitude,” he said. “It’s just neat that a young man can do that.”

Other volunteers at the food bank during the taping day included Steve Frankovich.

“I’ve worked with him a couple times. He’s a great example for Lincoln,” Frankovich said. “He is a great kid and he has such an adult mind that we adults should learn from him and think like him and help others.”

The next location Thursday for the crew to film was at the Furrer’s home, where they filmed Brian and his parents doing everyday activities, making breakfast and getting Brian ready for school.

“They basically told me they want him to come across as a normal child because it’s not normal for a 10-year-old to volunteer,” Terri Furrer said. “He’s very normal, he plays outside (and) plays with the dog.”

“It’s been fun,” said Terri Furrer, when asked how it was having a film crew at her house. “I think it’s a really neat experience.”

Rachael Ray was unavailable for comment for this story.

For more information: Brian Furrer will be featured on the “Rachael Ray Show” at 2 p.m. Monday on NBC. Check online at lincolnnewsmessenger.com for a video of Brian being taped last week in Lincoln for the “Rachael Ray Show.”