LOCAL HERO: 7-year-old Summerland girl gives back

PENTICTON – Katie Beattie had never made a Christmas card by herself before this holiday season but this year she made a lot; the 7-year-old hand-crafted 100 holiday cards.

She got her creative juices flowing, making unique cards, working tirelessly every day after school until she reached her goal.

“My fingers were starting to get tired,” says Beattie.

So, what motivated the Summerland girl to spend so much time and effort on the cards? She was determined to raise money to help kids in need.

The idea came to her in early November. She was driving with her aunt, Tracy Rurka, in downtown Penticton when the pair came across a homeless man.

“He was asking for money and he was holding a sign and I wanted him to have a good Christmas so I thought about the cards and I told my auntie,” says Beattie.

Beattie sold the cards to family and friends, with the help of her aunt.

“When she said ‘I want to donate all the money to families in need, I was like wow. It brought tears to my eyes,” says Rurka.

Beattie raised $95 for the South Okanagan Women in Need Society (SOWINS).

Her aunt helped her do the research but it was Beattie who decided SOWINS would be where her hard earned dollars would go.

“A lot of the kids who come into the transition house, they have just the clothes on their back so it’s such a stressful time for the mom and the kids,” says Children Who Witness Abuse counsellor at SOWINS, Erica Markus-Pawliuk.

But thanks to Beattie’s efforts, toys were purchased Tuesday morning and will go to children in need on Christmas day. The initiative has blown away staff at the non-profit.

“We thought, wow, she is so young and to have thought of that she is going to make an unbelievable adult,” says Markus-Pawliuk.

After such a busy holiday season, Beattie isn’t planning to rest. In the new year, she’s going to get an early start making cards for next Christmas.

“It’s making me feel happy,” says Beattie.