Five-year-old is top Canadian fundraiser
Five-year-old is top Canadian fundraiser. Koen McLeod. Nikki Wesley / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @halton_photog “I'm happy we raised a lot of money because that means we helped even more kids, but I’m sad it’s over.” - Koen McLeod Related Stories OAKVILLE BEAVER - At two and a half years old, Koen McLeod was already riding a minidirt bike with training... Oakville’s Koen McLeod, 5, not only nearly doubled his goal for raising funds for Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, but he set a record for the largest amount ever raised by an individual. The record is a new one for MX for Children, the charity involved in organizing the fundraising initiative in which Koen took part. The charity connects motocross lovers with children’s hospitals across North America, including SickKids. “I'm happy we raised a lot of money because that means we helped even more kids, but I’m sad it’s over,” Koen said via an e-mail to The Oakville Beaver. The 2012 Pledge Drive called on local fundraisers to help raise money to support hydrocephalus clinical research at SickKids. Hydrocephalus is a life-threatening and debilitating condition that creates a buildup of fluid inside the skull, leading to brain swelling.
As there is currently no cure, the condition can cause brain damage, disability and even death. Having begun on Feb. 27, Koen was aiming to raise $6,000 for the hospital by the drive’s deadline (April 6) after finding out about the fundraiser from a motor sports newsletter his father, Brad, subscribes to. Brad’s love of snowmobiles, ATVs, and dirt bikes inevitably led to Koen’s interest in dirt biking, said mom Dawn — who indicated the senior kindergartener at Brookdale Public School has been riding a junior motorbike since he was two and a half (his first one had training wheels). But after nearly a month and a half of going door-to-door, bake sales, speaking with local companies and numerous other forms of fundraising, Koen raised $11,755 for SickKids. “We couldn’t believe it. Koen raised an astonishing amount. My son, correction, my entire family has learned so much from this experience,” said Dawn. “Koen and his little sister, Raea, have learned to help others before themselves, which is always hard to explain to children, and my husband and I have even both learned to be more giving, realizing if a five-year-old can accomplish this, imagine what adults could accomplish if they put their heart into it. “We are so very proud of Koen for all the hard work and effort he put into his fundraiser as well as all the other boys and girls who participated.” Overall, more than $43,000 was raised for seven children’s hospitals in Canada and the U.S. during the drive, with a total $29,688 going towards the Toronto-based hospital. According to Dawn, Canada took all three top spots for all of North America. While Koen raised $11,755, Travis Byrom of Pontypool, Ontario raised $6,143 and Hannah McCrory of Ontario raised $5,050. As a thank you for his efforts, Koen will also receive the fundraiser’s top prize — VIP passes to attend the AMA Supercross finale in Las Vegas on May 5.