A spontaneous act from strangers raised more than $10,000 for a McLeese Lake boy fighting cancer last weekend.
Residents and businesses stretching from Williams Lake to McLeese Lake and beyond pulled together Saturday to help Gavin Goodwin, 7, who is currently in Vancouver General Hospital receiving medical treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Kathy Lidgren, who co-organized the fundraising event for them along with friend Charli-Anne Erho, said they jumped into action when they heard the family was struggling with the costs of travel and everyday living expenses.
“My girlfriend and I stopped in at the (Oasis) pub for a beer a few weeks ago (in McLeese Lake) and the manager was telling us about the little boy. Four hours later we were still sitting there coming up with ideas on how we were going to help this family,” said Lidgren.
She said Monday the event was by all accounts a resounding success.
“It was amazing, overwhelming really,” Lidgren said, adding that Gavin Face-timed organizers during the event to see all his friends, teachers, neighbours and strangers gathered to support him.
“It was a day of tears, tears, tears.”
Corry Williams and her daughter Samantha Genereux from the local organization Families Fighting Cancer presented a $4,000 cheque to help the family.
“We just wanted to help,” said Williams. “We wanted to take some of the pressure of paying bills off their plate so they could focus on Gavin getting well.”