An Abbotsford nursing student is holding a toy drive to collect items for Abbotsford Regional Hospital’s (ARH) pediatric unit, and she’s hoping that a GoFundMe campaign will help her raise the necessary funds.
Amandeep Bhatti, who attends University of the Fraser Valley, says that she is passionate about helping others and “making a positive change in the world.”
In the past, Bhatti has organized bake sales, sold chocolate bars in her neighbourhood and held awareness rallies at the Sikh temple to fundraise more than $2,000 for BC Children’s Hospital.
In 2016, she and her brother Sarbjot raised $685 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation in memory of their grandmother.
Bhatti has also volunteered at Menno Home and Menno Hospital and in the emergency room at ARH.
Her GoFundMe page for the toy drive says that all donations will go towards purchasing brand new toys for sick kids staying at ARH over the holidays.
She said she will also be holding bake sales and bottle drives to raise money.
Bhatti said she needs to have all the funds raised by Friday, Dec. 22 in order to have time to purchase the toys, wrap them and deliver the items to the hospital on Christmas Eve.
“This fundraiser is completely 100 per cent non-profit. Everything is based on your generous donations and myself volunteering my time this holiday season to make an impact on the lives of those children who are medically unwell,” she says.
The GoFundMe page can be accessed at gofundme.com/arhtoydrive2017
Anyone who would like to help or who requires more information is asked to contact Bhatti via email at arhtoydrive2017@gmail.com.
