A little while ago I decided to do some busking and donate all my money to charity. I chose Inclusive Kids and Wishlist as my charities, and was able to raise just over $1000. Shortly after I did this, IFYS printed a story in thier magazine called Here & Now. I was honoured to be included in the story. Below is an extract from that article.
From Here & Now magazine edition #16
Children are again setting a great example to the wider Sunshine Coast community, by taking on quirky and smart fundraising ventures that will assist Inclusive Kids to help children and families in need. Amalia Fraser, just 6, and Henry Catania, 12, may be children, but they are teaching us that a little initiative backed up by effort can truly make the world a better place. That lesson was reflected in an unexpected response to questions posed to six-year-old Amalia, planting a seed that grew into a wonderful initiative to gather backpacks full of school items to donate to the children of struggling families.
….. Meantime, Sunshine Coast musician Henry Catania spent some of his Christmas holidays busking on Noosa’s fashionable Hastings Street, with the dual purpose of raising money for charity as well as reminding everyone that Christmas is a time for giving to others. At just 12 years old, his efforts have made a significant and inspiring difference – and will go directly to making a positive difference to desperate young people.
‘I chose to do this because Christmas has sort of lost the meaning of giving. It has also become a bit commercial, so I thought, what about giving back to other kids to make them happy and help them to enjoy the season,’ Henry said. ‘I chose to raise funds for Inclusive Kids because the donation is going to a great, local, Sunshine Coast organisation rather than somewhere that may be receiving heaps of donations and we’re not sure what the money is being used for.’ Henry is a regular fortnightly busker in Hastings Street, where he plays his guitar and sings, and he made sure he was in fine form on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, where he raised an impressive $1000 – $741.72 for IFYS, with the remainder donated to Wishlist.
As IFYS explains, the loose change in our pockets and purses might not seem like much, but when we collectively pool our coins – like Henry did with his busking – it’s amazing how it adds up and can help transform lives for the better.
The Inclusive Kids Fund is a non-perpetuity funds program that distributes 100% of money raised directly to the individuals living within the regions where the funding has been collected. All of the costs associated with administering this important fund are completely covered by the fund’s host, IFYS Ltd.
‘I was just glad it was going to a good charity, who were collecting money for food at that time, and I thought it’d be good to raise some money that was actually going towards helping other kids around my age,’ Henry explained. And he has this advice for anyone else hoping to also make a positive difference to those living on the Sunshine Coast who may be struggling with everyday needs. ‘I think it’d be a really good idea if everybody just gave a little bit more.’