BIG POND, N.S. — Little hands have brought huge inspiration to Cape Breton.
Meaghan Bennett of Big Pond was trying to teach her daughters Neelie, 7, Larken, 4, and Fable Mae, 2, about charity work.
“I thought maybe we’d raise $20 to teach them the basics about fundraising and charity work, about helping others,” said Bennett, a medical social worker whose husband Jonathan is a paramedic. “Well now we’re up to $500.”
Everything began with a conversation Mark Inglis, marketing and communications officer with the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation, had with Bennett.
Inglis, who is related to the family, said Neelie found out the foundation raised $75,000 through a T-shirt campaign. The little girl told her mother Inglis and his wife were going to be rich.
That’s when Bennett explained to her daughters about how charity works.
“She told me she wanted to get her girls involved in fundraising,” Inglis said. “Her idea was getting the girls to draw pictures and sell them for $2 each for the foundation.”
At the time, Inglis thought that might be something the girls would do down the road.
“She texted me an hour later and said, ‘Mark we’ve already sold $100 worth,” he said. Inglis said it was amazing.
“Not long after the girls were up to $300 and then $450.”
Bennett said her daughters are young but she explained about charity and the foundation’s role in society through examples they would understand.
“I told them sometimes maybe the doctor would tell someone if they take this medicine they’d get better, but the people might not have money to buy that medicine,” she said. “Or sometimes they need to see their doctor but don’t have money to put gas in to go.”
Where her daughters love to draw, Bennett suggested maybe they could sell pictures and donate the money to the foundation for people in need.
Bennett uploaded their pictures to Facebook, each titled by the girls themselves, being sold for $2 each with the funds to go to the foundation. The requests poured in immediately.
“I had one lady wanting to buy one but not for $2, she paid $50,” Bennett said.
“Some just began sending donations. Every time I logged into my Facebook there was another e-transfer. That’s how it got as big as it did.”
“We’re humbled. For young children to encourage people to give and in this style…… I think is pretty incredible.”
-Mark Inglis, Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation
Special requests even came in.
“One lady messaged and asked if one of the girls could draw a beach scene or something with a boat in it.”
Neelie drew a beach scene titled, ‘Galaxy Ocean.'
“The woman said they wanted to frame it for their summer home. That was so nice.”
Neelie, 7, confirmed their pictures sold ‘really fast’ which made her feel happy.
“It’s going to help people get medicine and get gas to get to the hospital,” she said.
Neelie and her father, Jonathan, also shared that this shows anyone can make a difference no matter how old they are.
Larkin, 4, also chimed in during the interview.
“I had fun,” she said.
The girls ended up raising $500, a donation being made in memory of their grandmother, the late Kathleen Bennett. The fundraiser went so well, Bennett said at some point they’ll probably do it again. In the meantime, she is challenging other families to do the same.
“The kids are home and they’re drawing anyway,” she said. “If everyone just devoted a day to it imagine the money that could be raised.”
Inglis said the foundation is incredibly touched by what these girls did, adding the funds raised will support emergency and critical care needs, including COVID-19 related requests.
“We’re humbled,” he said, adding often people want to give back but don’t know how especially in these more difficult economic times.
“For young children to encourage people to give and in this style…… I think is pretty incredible.”
A LETTER FROM WHITNEY
Meanwhile, every once in a while that unforgettable letter is opened and for the Cape Breton Regional Police Service, that happened last week.
Desiree Magnus, spokesperson for the regional police, said they received a letter addressed to the chief’s office, obviously from a little girl.
The letter thanked the police for what they are doing adding, ‘You are the best cops.'
The letter was not from anyone the police knew and was simply signed, ‘Nova Scotia Strong, Whitney.’
Magnus said correspondence like this from the community is something they receive periodically from citizens who want to recognize the work they do and say thank you.
“We greatly appreciate these messages, which are even more meaningful when they come from children,” she said.
“These encouraging words from Whitney came to us at an especially challenging time as we respond to COVID-19 and also mourn the tragedy our law enforcement colleagues are dealing with in the province and mean a lot to our officers who are out there working to keep everyone safe.”
