Sahara Sandhu’s recent act of kindness proved that philanthropy can start at any age.
Last year, while fundraising for the Cops for Cancer Tour de Coast charity bike ride, New Westminster school liaison officer Const. Gerald Lau put out a plea for students to help him fundraise. In return, the student who raised the most money would get to spend a day with him on the job, while the class that brought in the most money would get a pizza party and a tour of the police station, including a visit with police Chief Const. Dave Jones.
Debbie Ramen, a Grade 4/5 teacher and vice-principal at École Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School, decided she’d get her class involved in the contest but motivating the kids was harder than expected, she said.
“Nothing was really happening; and I thought, ‘OK, forget it.’ Usually I have a lot of success with this type of thing but with this class, nothing.”
So Ramen gave up on the fundraiser.
That is until Sahara – then in Grade 5 – came to school one day with a donation.
“She just handed it over,” Ramen said. “We didn’t think we were doing this anymore, and she said, ‘Well, no. I just want to do this. It’s for a good cause.’”
Her teacher was blown away by her generosity – and so were her classmates, according to Ramen.
“When the other students saw her attitude, I really do think she inspired them,” Ramen said.
Soon the class had amassed $534.75, the most of any class in the district.
Needless to say, Sahara and her class won the pizza party and tour. She also won the prize for top fundraiser but declined it, instead offering the second-place fundraiser the chance to spend the day on the job with Lau.
“It was just amazing because how many adults would do that let alone a child, and she was genuine,” Ramen said.
Sahara’s efforts surprised even her mom, who said her daughter took it upon herself to canvass for donations.
“I had nothing to do with it and that made me really proud,” Kiran Sandhu said. “She just kind of went for it. It was nice to see that.”
Sahara said she wanted to participate in the fundraiser for all the children around the world suffering from cancer. As well, both Sahara’s great grandmother and grandmother were diagnosed with cancer. Her great grandmother died, but her grandmother survived.
“I was at a family event and I guess all my family members there donated a lot of money to me, to help me with this,” she said.
“We all have to be so grateful we don’t have cancer, and if you do, we can keep fighting. We can do this. We can help so many kids, and it’s really important to help all the kids who really need it.”
Last month, Lau and special Const. Randy Fullerton joined other first responders from the Lower Mainland for the annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Coast, a two-week cycling fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society. Together, Lau and Fullerton raised more than $13,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.
