“Le coeur de la classe.” That’s what Julian’s teacher calls him – the heart of the class. The 10-year-old Ottawa boy has always had a generous spirit and been aware of those around him who might be going through difficult times. As individuals and families in his region were affected by flooding this past week, Julian decided to embark on a fundraising effort to support them.
Julian’s mother, Adele, says he’s watched her do fundraisers in the past, and thinks he’s “caught the bug” so to speak. Last year, they did a 12-hour overnight relay for the Canadian Cancer Society together, and Adele and her husband, Randy, have tried to instil a “pay it forward” attitude in their children. On his poster for the fundraiser, Julian says he “aspire[s] one day to be a police officer or join the Canadian Armed Forces.”
This is the first fundraiser Julian has led himself, and Adele said it’s “exploded more than we thought it would.” With his parents’ help, Julian is collecting empty cans and glass bottles and plans to donate the deposit money to the Canadian Red Cross Spring Flooding Appeal. “I was inspired to do this fundraiser because the floods impacted a lot of people and I wanted to do something to help the people that were affected,” says Julian.
Julian has advertised the fundraiser on his mom’s Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as their community Facebook page and his hockey association’s page. He also passed out flyers in his neighbourhood. In addition to Julian’s efforts, two of his hockey teammates have joined the cause and will be collecting empty bottles in their own neighbourhoods.
So far, he’s collected about $130 in cash donations and Adele estimates he has a few hundred dollars in bottle donations! Adele says they’ve already filled their van three times picking up bottles from houses, and she plans to enlist the help of neighbours with trucks to transport the final haul to the bottle depot. With a few more weeks of the fundraiser to go, and his teammates collecting as well, the bottle collection is sure to continue to grow!
Thank you for making a difference
The Canadian Red Cross is grateful to Julian and his parents for supporting our
Spring Flooding appeal. We extend our thanks to donors of all ages and levels of support for their generosity.
Thanks to this generous support, the Canadian Red Cross announced this week that residents impacted by flooding in Ontario and Quebec will be receiving financial assistance. We encourage those residents to register online at
redcross.ca/gethelp or by phone at 1-800-863-6582.