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VIDEO: Community rallies behind Langley boy’s fundraiser for BC Children’s Hospital

Six-year-old collected nearly $2,600 to buy presents for sick kids

Six-year-old Carson Walton had modest expectations when he started collecting money at his family’s office, to buy presents for BC Children’s Hospital.

Thanks to the kindness of strangers, he raised eight times more than his goal of $300.

By the end of the fundraising drive, Carson, his parents Danny and Jennifer, and his four-year-old sister Kayla had a whopping $2,545 to shop for toys, that they delivered to the south Vancouver hospital on Dec. 19.

Carson created a fund jar for BC Children’s Hospital after remembering he had seen one like it last Christmas. He wanted to help sick and injured children.

His grandma Patti said a note attached to the jar, written by Carson, asked for others to donate and help.

“I’ve seen another house do it, and so I wanted to do it,” Carson told the Langley Times in early November. “They’re gonna get toys and I think they’re gonna be really happy.”

Visitors to his dad’s office, J & J Sales Ltd., #6 19510 – 55 Ave. on the Surrey/Langley border, donated to the fund and all the money collected was used to buy presents for kids staying at the hospital during the holiday season.

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Once the original story ran in the Langley Times’ online and print editions, the fundraiser took flight.

One man dropped off box full of nearly 40 pounds of coins, that he had been collecting for 20 years. The donation amounted to roughly $500.

“I saw the cute little boy in the newspaper,” Patti related, of what the visitor said when he walked into the office. “He said ‘I have no grandchildren, I’m moving from B.C. to Ontario and I have these coins and I’ve been collecting them for 20 years, and I want Carson to have them.’”

The man’s lone stipulation was that Carson buy himself a gift with some of the money, because he deserves a reward for his generosity.

Meanwhile, the story quickly went viral on social media and people were either dropping off donations at the office, or offering to e-transfer money to the cause.

“Teachers (at Carson’s school) saw the story and acknowledged Carson in their monthly newsletter,” Jennifer noted.

“We hit $1,000 in a couple of days,” Danny said, adding that he was impressed by how trusting people were, that the money was going to this cause.

The hospital gave the family a list of the different age groups of the children there, and the toys that were most appropriate. The family bought a range of items from Legos to tablets to colouring books.

In total, they purchased 75 toys and 17 gift cards.

Carson said it was “good” to drop off the toys “because I was giving toys to others.”

Danny said it was an overwhelming experience.

“They were so appreciative at the hospital,” Jennifer added.

And Patti said the lesson that this drive has taught Carson (and Kayla) will be “totally invaluable.”

“He understands that those kids are there and they’re sick and they’re going to be there maybe on Christmas Day,” Patti said.

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Carson Walton, six, and his kid sister Kayla stood in front of the toys they bought for young patients at BC Children’s Hospital.
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Siblings Kayla and Carson Walton stood near BC Children’s Hospital, where the two joined their family to drop off presents for young patients on Tuesday, Dec. 19.