A girl in Clayton, New York, recently used her artistic talents to raise a large amount of money for the American Cancer Society.
When the coronavirus pandemic prevented Olivia Walton from helping her grandparents at their shop, she found another way to assist others for the time being, WWNYTV reported Tuesday.
“So we were thinking about what was a fun fundraiser and what would be good to raise money for and we thought about cancer,” she explained.
To raise the money, Olivia created and sold ribbons with the goal of raising $1,200. However, that quickly jumped to $2,100 and kept growing.
“I ended up raising $3,015,” she stated.
The generous young artist raised the money before her twelfth birthday and did it because the cause is close to her heart.
“My great-grandparents both died from cancer when my mom was pretty young,” Olivia said, adding that her ribbons come in a variety of colors to signify different types of cancer.
“This is for brain cancer. My aunt is a survivor from brain cancer, so this one means a lot to me,” she noted.
Olivia’s mother, Rachel Minnick, said she is proud of what her child has accomplished.
“I remember what I was doing at 11 and my thoughts were definitely not, ‘How can I raise money to support a good cause,'” she said.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Minnick shared a photo of Olivia with the giant check for $3,015:
❤️💜💛💙🖤💚 So proud of you Olivia ❤️❤️
Posted by Rachel Minnick on Tuesday, January 19, 2021
“Someone who’s almost 12 to raise $3,000 is the kind of support our organization needs, looks for, and certainly appreciates,” said Don Boshart of the American Cancer Society.
Boshart added that the money will go toward the organization’s programs, services, and cancer research.
“I really hope that this $3,015 really makes it that much closer to finding a cure for cancer,” Olivia said, adding that she is hoping to raise more money for additional causes in the near future.
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