At Carya, we appreciate every donation. Because every donation makes a difference in the lives of those we help. But sometimes we receive a donation that really touches us. Like last week when we received an email from Kieran Nordbye who wanted to donate his 10th birthday money to an organization which helps families with kids in Calgary.
We were so impressed by Kieran’s generosity that we just had to thank him in person, so we did. We also asked him a little bit about himself and why donating to Carya was important to him.
Here’s what he had to say.
“I have lots of stuff already so I wanted to help other kids” says Kieran who enjoys swimming and playing hockey and soccer. In fact, Kieran’s been donating to causes with his birthday money for the last three years.
This year he turned 10 with a laser tag birthday party where he asked his friends to make a donation to his chosen cause rather than give gifts. He says his classmates don’t really think anything of his philanthropic attitude towards his big day.
“I think the parents notice more than the kids” says Kieran’s Mom, Kim, who’s been encouraging both Kieran and his 8 year old brother Devin to think about what they do with their money.
“From as early as they could understand it, we felt it was important to teach them about saving money for the future and donating to others who need help as well as spending some and having fun.”
And both boys take donating very seriously, carefully considering the difference they want their money to make and where best to donate it to make that happen.
“It makes me feel good that other families might not struggle as much and it makes us feel like we’re part of the community because we got to help people out” says Kieran who also says he’d encourage other kids his age to think about donating.
Kieran’s Mom would also encourage other parents to start teaching their kids about philanthropy and giving back.
“Donating and volunteering are things I think more parents should instill in their kids. With volunteering it can be more difficult depending on how old they are but if you can find the right opportunity it’s a great way of introducing them to new experiences and giving them a chance to give back. That’s something that should be important to everybody.”
Kieran plans to continue to donate his birthday money to great causes. He also wants to be a video game designer when he’s older and we think he’ll be awesome at it.
Thanks Kieran, you’ve made a difference!
