Two nine-year-old girls have raised $800 for ‘Adopt a Family this Christmas’ for the needy in their hometown of Casino
A North Coast girl who regularly donates to charities at Christmas has sold her toys and joined with her bestie to help children in their hometown as part of Momentum’s Adopt a Family Christmas campaign.
Regional News
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A North Coast girl who regularly donates to charities at Christmas has sold her toys and raised $800 with a friend to help children in their hometown of Casino this festive season.
Richmond Valley’s Keira Smith, 9, decided she had outgrown most of her toys and decided to sell them to buy new ones to donate to the charity Momentum Collective’s Adopt a Family Christmas campaign.
Donations of toys, non-perishable food and gift cards will help women and children who have been impacted by homelessness or domestic violence continue throughout northern NSW.
Keira said: “I wanted to help children less fortunate than me.”
The girls’ parents said they were proud of the effort the pair have put in to help others.
“Keira’s always sorted out her toys at Christmas time and we’ve donated them to the Cancer Children’s Home in Lismore and then last year we decided to do the Woolworth’s Christmas tree,” mum Sarah Smith said.
“She’s collected Barbies and dolls and all that sort of stuff for years and now that she’s about to turn 10 she’s just decided she’s grown out of pretty much all her toys, so we had nearly 10 years of Barbie collections, Bluey, and doll’s clothes.”
Keira enlisted the help of her Casino best friend Sophia Thompson, 9, and the pair organised and sorted all the toys.
After snapping some photos, the girls put up advertisements on Facebook community pages.
“The girls made a big sign and stood on the corner with the sign waving it at all the passing cars shouting at the top of their voices ‘there’s a toy sale’,” Ms Smith said.
“They’d see people drive into the street then they’d chase the cars until they stopped.”
The girl’s endured the hot sun for six hours – manning the store until every toy was sold.
After the “big sale, the family learned Momentum was running its campaign and seeking donations. They noticed a sign at the charity’s Casino drop-off site.
They took down a list of suggested items for ages and genders, visited Lismore Square and filled two trolleys worth of toys, wrapped by the girls.
Sarah and dad Jim Smith were thrilled by their daughters’ generosity in the festive season.
“As parents it is important that Keira appreciates how fortunate she is and has compassion for others,” Ms Smith said.
Donations can be made at 35 Wharf St at Tweed, 4/79 Tamar St at Ballina, 138 Canterbury St at Casino and 32 Prince St at Grafton.
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