Young Wellington girl collects donations through
selling ribbons, buttons as fundraiser
WELLINGTON: A young Wellington girl is showing she has a heart of gold for others almost a world away.
Naphtali Tucker, a Grade 8 student at Georges P. Vanier Junior High School in Fall River, said she’s saddened to see what is happening in Ukraine with the invasion by Russian troops. The invasion has saw many women, children and men killed, while sending thousands of others fleeing for safety to other countries.
Naphtali and a few friends have come created some buttons with various slogans saying, “Stand with Ukraine” “Support Ukraine” “I love Ukraine” and ribbons as well. Both are done in the Ukrainian country colours.
She has been helped by fellow GPV peers and friends Maya Butcher; Olivia Woodill; Kayleigh Monette, who was helping her out while The Laker News visited; and Alyssa Rose
“I just like doing it,” said Naphtali on why she wanted to do this for Ukraine. “I like doing fundraisers and stuff with the school to help people. Making buttons and ribbons has been a lot of fun.”
Naphtali, who is autistic, was making more than 300 buttons for March 9 as she was selling them for donations at the school. The family has decided all donations–$2,600 from the school as of March 9 at night—will go to the UNHCR (the U.N. Refugee agency) and possibly UNICEF towards humanitarian efforts for those in Ukraine.
It’s not her first time getting involved in causes. Naphtali created a banner and walked with it in the memorial walk for Residential School Survivors last summer.
She was expecting a lot of support from her fellow GPV schoolmates and teachers.
“I know there’s going to be lots of donations coming at the school,” she said, explaining she heard one classroom teacher was going to match the total donations brought in by that class.
There were 25 students in that class, and they were going to donate $10 each, so that would mean the teacher would have to donate $250 themselves to match the total the class donated, said Naphtali.
When asked why she wanted to help those out in Ukraine, Naphtali said she just did. She was sad to see all the carnage caused, along with the effects on the animals in the zoo being effected too.
“They had to move them inside because they were running around with all the bombs going off around them,” she said.
Naphtali is simply happy to be able to help people out.
“It makes me happy that people are caring for the people of Ukraine,” said Naphtali.
She understands being autistic is one main reason she wanted to step up.
“That’s the reason I can do all this because I’m enthusiastic about activism,” she said.
To help out further people can send in a donation with a GPV student or donate directly to the efforts at: https://www.unhcr.ca/
