Holy Family CES student helping SickKids with 10-10-10 water bottle fundraiser
By Jennifer O’Meara, Clarington This Week
A Bowmanville boy’s new fundraiser will have kids at local elementary schools raising money to help SickKids.
Riley Hicks, an 11-year-old Holy Family Catholic Elementary School student, got the idea for the fundraiser after hearing that an empty water bottle filled with dimes adds up to $100.
He thought if he got empty water bottles into Clarington classrooms the kids could raise a lot of money for the Hospital for Sick Children, without making too much extra work for schools.
“I just like fundraising, I don’t know (why). I like how you can help other people and they’re not alone and you can help them,” said Riley. “I just like it. You can make someone smile and be nice to someone and make them feel better.”
The ambitious plan was to run the fundraiser for 10 days, in 10 schools, to collect dimes (10 cents) — hence the name 10-10-10.
Riley used snow days to set appointments with the local principals to talk about the fundraiser. He walked to the schools around his house and his mother, Cherie Hicks, drove him to schools that were farther away.
Four Bowmanville schools will kick off the 10-10-10 water bottle fundraiser on Friday, Jan. 26 — Holy Family and St. Joseph Catholic elementary schools and Harold Longworth and John M. James public schools.
“It’s still 10 days but there’s no guarantee on 10 schools,” said Riley. “And we’ve changed it for any donation, not just 10 cents. You don’t want to turn it down if someone brings a loonie.”
Prizes were donated by Boston Pizza and Heritage Restoration Inc., where Hicks works. The water bottles were donated by Wahta Springs and delivered by Cedar Springs.
Riley said if he can find other schools interested in participating then another 10-day water bottle fundraiser could be held later in the school year. He hopes to make it an annual event.
Visit my.sickkidsdonations.com/101010funds or the 10-10-10 Facebook group or email [email protected] for more information or to donate.
Photo Credit: Jason Liebregts / Metroland