Ten year old watches as $5 grows into $410 - right before her eyes.

By Staff

December 5, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Odd how some things happen.

Steve Howse was facilitating the public meeting on what the people of Burlington might want to do in sponsoring refugee’s from Syria Tuesday evening.

The Mainway Recreation centre room was full and hands were going up with questions or comments – Howse had to dash from one side if the room to the other – there was just the one microphone.

Ten year old Eleeza was a little stunned when people kept giving her money to buy stuffed toys for refugee children expected to arrive in Canada next week

Somehow a $5 bill ended up in Steve’s hand – he scooted to the other side of the room and gave it to 10 year old Eleeza who earlier had said she was raising funds to buy “stuffie’s that would be given to children who land in Canada from refugee camps next week.

Eleeza didn’t ask for funds – she just said she was raising funds – but that seemed to be enough for Howse who gave her the $5 – and that got the ball rolling. Before the evening was out she had collected $410

Eleeza’s mother Sehr said her daughter had already purchased 36 of the toys and that there was several hundred dollars collected – the toys cost between $5 and $7 dollars – so it looks like a lot of refugee children will be given a toy when the walk on Canadian soil.

The packed public meeting made it clear that Burlington wanted to do something for the refugees coming to Canada next week. There were more questions than answers at first but little by little information was exchanged and connections were made.

There were a lot of numbers flying around and the figure of a possible 120 people settling in Burlington got mentioned – with a less than 2% available housing rate no one was at all sure where these people would live – which didn’t seem to be a huge concern to the people at the meeting.

Anyone wanting to add to the amount collected for toys can email Eleeza’s mother at:  sehrwyne@yahoo.ca