It might not be a competition, but three North Delta girls are pretty happy they were able to beat their previous record for toy and cash donations for the BC Children’s Hospital this year.
“I’m so happy of what we were able to do this year for the kids,” Emma Vanderlee, 11, said.
“I’m already thinking of what we can do next year.”
For the last three years, Emma and her friends Makayla Bennett (11) and Jennyka Cozzuol (12) have collected toys and donations to benefit kids at BC Children’s Hospital.
The girls first toy drive for Children’s Hospital was in 2016 was inspired by a visit to Surrey Memorial’s pediatric ward. Since then, the campaign has grown, taking on the name Kids With Helping Hands, and earned the girls a Delta Rotary Youth compassion and empathy award earlier this year.
READ MORE: North Delta girls holding their third annual toy drive for BC Children’s Hospital
This year’s toy drive took place on Dec. 10 at North Delta’s Sundowner Pub. Although the trio haven’t counted the total number of toys collected this year — they dropped off the goodies (which included a microscope and art supplies) at the hospital on Thursday, Dec. 13 — they believe it was more than the 75 items donated in 2017.
They know for sure they beat last year’s cash donations, raising $2,200 for the hospital — over $1,000 more than in 2017.
In the last three years, the girls have raised $4,070 in cash donations and been able to give hundreds of toys to patients at the hospital.
This year, the girls expand their operation, selling crafts on Facebook to increase the amount of cash donations, and more changes may be coming in 2019, Jennyka said, as the group plans to bring in new ideas to collect toys and raise money.
“We want to help other organizations this year, we will be getting busy starting in January,” Emma said. “So stay tuned.”
grace.kennedy@northdeltareporter.com
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