Local children held tag sale to raise the money
While many were making a few dollars selling unwanted items during the Cornwall-on-Hudson village-wide yard sale last month, four children raised $700 to donate to two foundations providing assistance to families dealing with pediatric cancer.
The effort started five years ago by Kristi Allen after the son of a family friend died from a brain tumor. Allen explained she’s been friends with Brayden Ackermann’s parents for almost 20 years. At the age of two, Ackermann was diagnosed with Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a fatal brain tumor. He received treatment for two years, but passed away in May 2018. That fall, Allen started raising money in his memory.
Allen used to run a cookie business, so she would conduct bake sales. As an online fitness coach, she used to hold fitness fund raisers as well. Allen’s daughters, Julia and Addison, would assist, but this year they wanted to get more involved.
The girls recruited three of their friends, Abby Aubry, Charlotte Ryan, and Abbygail Buckley and sold crocheted items and bracelets during the village wide yard sale. One daughter made about 40 bracelets while the other and her three friends crocheted 10 to 20 items each. They included stuffed animals, pumpkins, bookmarks, washcloths, shirt clips, and cacti.
Cornwall Central School District teachers and staff like Pam Glynn, Cathy O’Sullivan, Carol Salis, and Tina Vredenburg made and donated items to the cause.
At the end of the day, the kids had raised $700 to donate to the Carolyn Sullivan Foundation and the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors.
The Carolyn Sullivan Memorial Foundation is a non-profit established in memory of Carolyn Sullivan. The foundation’s mission is to provide support to sick children and their families. The Matthew Larson Foundation also provides support to families living with pediatric brain tumors. It also funds research in the hopes of finding a cure.
“I was so proud of them because the girls, not only spent all that time creating, but not once did they think what could they get out of it,” Allen said. “None of them had ever met Brayden. They didn’t ask any questions. They just wanted to help. They were so excited.”
Despite the pouring rain during the sale, the girls said they wanted to raise money for another foundation in the future.