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Carrier of the Month: Alice SandifordBy Brock Weir Alice Sandiford's parents first got the impression their daughter might think a little bit differently from other kids in her then three-year-old age bracket when, moved by stories seen on television of the plight of some kids at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, she set out to do something about it.  Her parents, Dave and Judy, recall Alice walking around her street noticing several of her neighbours had sleds in their garages. This, they recall, seemed to be just the ticket. “She decided if she could collect those sleds and sell them, she could make money for Sick Kids,” says Dave. “We went with her and she actually asked these neighbours if they wanted to get rid of their old sleds.” They did – and she made good on her word. It is this sense Alice has of identifying a problem, and seeking a way to remedy it, that was one of the determining factors in being chosen The Auroran's Carrier of the Month for April. Alice, who delivers the paper to nearly 150 homes on Sandusky Crescent, Nisbit Drive, and Stoddart Drive, found herself short on time due to her local sports teams and clubs and entrusted her route to a friend with previous experience. Things didn't go according to plan and, after seeing the problem and hearing the concerns of her neighbours, she took it upon herself to repackage and redeliver the papers properly as soon as she possibly could. With the money she earns on her paper route, Alice saves two -thirds and donates a third to charity, often alternating between the Canadian Cancer Society, Southlake Regional Health Centre, and UNICEF. “People have so much and they don't really give back,” says Alice. “I think it is good to give back because you just feel good about it. You're gaining because you feel good about it but other people are benefiting as well.” Having lost a number of family members to cancer at a very young age, it is a cause close to this Grade 7 Regency Acres Public School student's heart. And it is more than just sharing her paper route money; she takes a very hands-on approach to her cause, whether she is cutting off her hair in fundraisers, opening up a lemonade stand at the age of four to raise money for breast cancer research, or popping innumerable bags of popcorn to raise money for people left devastated by the Haitian Earthquake in 2010. “We once told her that whatever she made we would match – and we haven't made that mistake again,” says Judy with a laugh. Aside from her charity work, Alice is an avid sports enthusiast, and is currently a member of the Richmond Hill Lightning ringette team. Her love of soccer, however, has taken somewhat of a back seat this year as she prepares to go on her next big adventure – an exchange trip to Switzerland. “I am applying for their French exchange,” says Alice. “It seems like a good opportunity to experience a new culture now and I also want to speak French. I like meeting new people and that is what I am most looking forward to. I had to apply, get references, get it signed by teachers and the principal, and then I had to write about 10 pages of stuff about my personality and why I wanted to do it. It was a long process and I got through the first round. Now they're looking for a match.” This will be a new experience for the Sandiford Family. Having previously hosted a student from Beijing, they have never done a straight exchange, but they hope to have confirmation of just who they will be hosting by the end of May. |
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Post date: 2013-04-30 15:21:23 Post date GMT: 2013-04-30 19:21:23 Post modified date: 2013-05-07 14:48:18 Post modified date GMT: 2013-05-07 18:48:18 |
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