UPDATES 2011/2012

Update: April 6, 2012

Yesterday was CUPCAKE DELIVERY for the Corporate FUNKY MONKEY FUNDRAISER.

All in all it was a fantastically successful fundraiser bringing in $2075.-, with another $112 in donations!  That brings my new total to $ 33,572.- now.  I really don’t have words to describe how happy I am about that.

It was a pretty EXCITING week and my project received a lot of publicity:

For starters, on Monday, Kevin Allerston from Northern News Services Ltd. interviewed me and put out a GREAT article in the Wednesday Yellowknifer about my project and how my Funky Monkey Cupcakes were helping me raise money.

On Wednesday, Travis Stewart (Mr. Stewart is the Culinary Arts teacher at Sir John Franklin High School), and I were interviewed by CJCD radio station. The clip played numerous times during Wednesday and Thursday news hour.

Yesterday while delivering the cupcakes, i was called by CBC News, and they asked if they could put a segment out on CBC Northbeat about my project!  My Grade 7 teacher, Ms. Keats, and I were interviewed and it showed during the last 5 minutes of Northbeat last night. (We’ll try and get a clip posted ASAP, we are having some technical difficulties :P)

I really would like to thank everyone that ordered Funky Monkey Cupcakes! 

A huge, huge HUGE thank you to Travis Stewart and the culinary arts students at Sir John Franklin High School for baking and icing 1000 cupcakes for the fundraiser!  They were buried in cupcakes for days!  I am really grateful to have a school that encourages and supports my project so much.  MUCHAS GRACIAS.

Thank you to the following generous ingredient donors: Butter and Icing Sugar from SKILLS NWT, Flour and Sugar from FOOD RESCUE, Milk & Other Ingredients from SIR JOHN FRANKLIN SCHOOL and the Funky Monkeys from Mom and Dad.

Finally, thanks to my Mom, my little brother Liam, my super Auntie Patty and family friend Bonnie Stevens for helping me deliver cupcakes all day! I am very grateful for all you guys do for me and this project.

THANK YOU SO MUCH and HAPPY EASTER to you all. 

Hope you get lots of chocolate from the Easter Bunny.

Cole.

Update: April 13, 2012

Yesterday was an awesome day! I held a cupcake fundraiser at my school (Sir John Franklin) and it was great!

We raised $351.06 PLUS an amazing $100 from Dr. Kosta at Adam Dental Clinic for buying ALL the strawberries! We didn't get as many people as we were hoping, but i will take $451.06 any day!

As you all can tell if you have been keeping up with the webpage, I will be going to Mexico THIS TUESDAY! I am so majorly excited! it is going to be such a great experience!

I will make sure to keep you guys posted and I will definitely post pictures ASAP!

P.s. I would like to thank all of my donors from school as well as all of my very generous friends who were able to contribute to the bake sale! Most of all i would like to thank my mom! She stayed up all night making the strawberries and has been helping out a lot!

Thanks to everyone!

Just another “normal” night at our house...

Update: April 16, 2012

Holy cow!!!  $ 35,000.06.  Can you even believe it?

This morning I was just in my first class at school when I got an email from Cindy Caudron in Hay River... She had already made a generous donation previously, but realized I was only $ 297.00 off my ultimate goal of $ 35,000.-  and she offered to send the difference!!  WOW. Thank you so much, Cindy - you are so incredibly kind and I will never forget this.

We are just getting packed up for our departure tomorrow. It’ll be a super quick trip, but we are very excited. We have a full suitcase filled with flip flops (they were on the list of items the orphanages requested). We also have 42 boxes of coloured pencils, which were donated by Staples, Yellowknife. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, Mr. Legge! I really appreciate your continues help with my project. Please stay tuned... I will be sending updates from my trip daily.

Thank you to everyone for all your help!  We will be taking all your good thoughts and kindness to the children with us.

Update: July 2011                        

And so it starts again... :)

Update: August 6, 2011

TODAY

BIG BBQ FUNDRAISER AT M&M Meats

11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Stanton Plaza, Yellowknife

Come out and help support a GRRRREEEATTT cause!

Update: August 6, 2011

Hey there “Pay it Forward” Friends, Family, and Followers. The M&M Meats BBQ is over now and I just finished counting all the proceeds and donations from today. In total I was able to raise... $1,244.29. Isn’t that FANTASTIC? again to my Aunties, Mom, Dad, my brother, cousin, and Zeny, for all their amazing help with raising funds. Special thanks also to M&M meats and especially Kyle, for their facilities and support.  I had a great time, and I hope we can do it again soon!!

Update: November 2, 2011

Dear Pay It Forward followers,

It has been a long (yet busy) while since I last updated you on my progress. School, gymnastics, homework, and many other things have been taking up a huge amount of my time, and I’m sorry for not “keeping you in the loop”. BUT, throughout this long time, I have accomplished many things:

FIRST: I have a set date on when I will be heading to Mexico, I will be getting on a flight after lunch on November 4th!!!! Thats in 2 days!!! I am so excited to be going back.

SECOND: I have now reached in my fundraising, $10,811.29 for 2011!!!!! I am so thankful to everyone who has helped me reach my goals, over and over. If it was donating, or friendly support, you all helped me so much. Thank you.

THIRDLY: I would like to tell you that I have been given the opportunity to head to Mazatlan on April 1st, to help out the orphanages with there yearly rebuild. I will be heading out with my Mom and family, and also, the teacher that started it all. YES! My grade 7 teacher is going to come with me, to see what my project is really about!!

Thats all for now, thanks once again :)

Update: December 11, 2011

Yesterday my Mom and I spent the day at the ARTZ FOR PEACE CHRISTMAS MARKET, here in Yellowknife.  We rented a table and sold Mini Mukluks, beautiful art cards made by our family friend Alan Tosh and of course FUNKY MONKEY CUPCAKES. 

Here is a picture of our truck leaving in the morning.

It was really early, so I was not too thrilled to be

photographed.  =)

The event brought in another 1,079.39 - my new amount for this year is now $ 13,071.39 - and 26,819.99 in total.  That just makes my head spin! 

Thanks to my Grandma who helped so much in getting the mukluks and cards and all the supplies together for me.  And my Mom for spending all night making the cupcakes while I went to a sleepover.  Yes, Grandma, I know i owe her a big hug.

More to come soon, I hope.

Another update for November 2, 2011

Unfortunately I also got some sad news today.  Originally I had posted the following after my trip to the orphanages in November 2010:

“IMAGINE, an incredible, longtime supporter for Ciudad de los Ninos orphange has committed to match my 2011 fundraising proceeds dollar for dollar!! UNBELIEVABLE.  So any donation I receive this year be worth twice as much.”

Now it turns out that sadly the supporter is unable to come through with this deal because of his own reasons.  It’s a great disappointment to me.

I guess I just have to try harder now to reach my goals.

Update: March 21, 2012

I have reached

$ 30,000.-

in total funds raised for the Tres Islas Orphanage Fund.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

INCREDIBLE.

AMAZING

My goal in 2009 was to collect $ 2,000.-  and that seemed like a lot!

THANK YOU to everyone that has made this possible.

A huge amount of gratitude to Debbie Lougheed, who in the last 2 months has raised $ 1,615.00 from her family, friends and residents at the Concorde, Penticton.  There really are guardian angels walking this earth!

THANK YOU.