Wheatley River community rallies for boy injured in accident
'I wasn't planning on doing a silent auction and it ended up with a huge auction'
The Wheatley River community gathered on Sunday in support of an 11-year-old boy after he was in an accident involving a horse-drawn buggy and car.
The boy was a passenger in the buggy and was airlifted to the IWK Health Centre in Halifax with serious injuries earlier this week.
A community fundraiser for the boy and his family happened on Sunday afternoon at the Wheatley River Community Hall.
'You need to do something'
Xandra van der Geer, who organized the event, asked people to come listen to holiday music, eat treats and donate money for the family.
While van der Geer doesn't know the family well, she said: "It's more that, you know, when a thing like that happens in your community you need to do something."
It's hard to describe how I'm feeling. I'm feeling overwhelmed.— Xandra van der Geer
What started as about 60 community members interested in gathering for the event grew to about 300 Islanders planning to attend.
She said she's received emails and calls accompanied by donations from people living in Cape Breton and as far as Ontario since Friday. Even before the fundraiser, van der Geer said she'd raised about $1,500 for the family.
The show of support from people near and far has shown how giving Islanders can be, she said.
"It's hard to describe how I'm feeling," said van der Geer. "I'm feeling overwhelmed."
She said she hopes to have raised up to $4,000 by the end of the day from the silent auction alone.
"I had no idea that people went from place to place to place to get donations. I wasn't planning on doing a silent auction and it ended up with a huge auction.
"I can see how generous and how involved people are and how they love each other."
A cheque will be made out to the family from the money raised, van der Geer said.
She said she expects to be able to present the money to the family by the end of next week.
The collision happened on Route 224 near Ebenezer. The boy was one of five people treated in hospital on Tuesday.