St. Clare of Assisi parish fundraiser initially conceived by 6-year-old as a lemonade stand
The B.C. Catholic
When a priest requested donations for orphans in El Salvador, Anna Magnusson was puzzled. How could children lack food and family?
“They don’t have clothes, toys, or parents like me, and I was sad about it,” said Anna. “If I was a person in the orphanage, I would like to be treated nicely!”
Anna, 6 at the time, decided to try to raise some cash for the orphanage. “My daughter asked Father Scott (pastor Father Craig Scott) if she could do a lemonade stand to raise some extra funds,” said Maria Magnusson. He agreed, and the fundraiser began.
Now in its third year, the yearly event has raised $1,167 in total. In conjunction with a special collection, the parish of St. Clare of Assisi has raised more than $4,000 for the orphanage.
“Anna thought, why not lemonade in December?” Maria laughed, “but we eventually changed it to hot chocolate to better fit the cold month.” Anna, her brother David, and the rest of the family sell hot chocolate and cookies for a donation.
“I felt proud of myself for doing (the fundraiser), but it wasn’t just me,” Anna said. “Some people brought $50 bills, and others brought stacks of pennies!”
Maria was proud of her children and their charity. Having volunteered in her home country of Mexico, she was overjoyed at her children’s ideas. “I know how important it is to help those types of communities,” she said. “I wanted to teach my children the importance of charity.”
She added it was wonderful to see how much younger children can do to help others. She said it was “amazing how little children can move and touch the hearts of other people. I am super proud of them.”
Father Scott noted the importance of charitable acts. “It was an idea from two little kids. The girl, Anna, even saved up her own personal money to give to the fund!” he exclaimed.
“That’s what it’s all about. Those little kids have compassion for the poor. Anna said doing the hot chocolate fundraising changed her life, and she’s only 8. Her big dream is to go down to the orphanage.”
The orphanage is always in need of funding. Father Scott said if anything big happens they have a special collection. There was a fire at the orphanage last year, for example.
