Emmett Flores has a passion for koalas and his homeland Australia.
When he saw footage of the bush fires, Emmett was overcome with emotion. So he started shoveling driveways and baking cookies to raise money to help care for displaced koalas.
“I like making cookies because I like cooking and my mom is good at making cookies,” said Emmett.
He vowed to raise $300, but went well beyond that.
“He has earned $2,200 in the last four weeks,” said Charlotte Flores, Emmett’s mother.
READ MORE: Fredericton boy raising funds and awareness for Australia’s bush fires
On top of shoveling and baking, Emmett received online donations from four provinces and 10 states.
“He would come home one day with money from his bus driver, from another parent at the bus stop, from the principal, from his teachers,” said Charlotte.
According to the University of Sydney, over one billion animals were killed in the bush fires. Emmett’s fundraising is providing food and shelter to koalas that barely made it out alive.
“Emmett has adopted 27 koalas,” Charlotte added. “He adopted every single koala from the koala hospital in Port Macquarie.”
Each koala was $40 to adopt, and now Emmett has made a commitment to sponsor a mom and baby koala for $50 a month.
Emmett’s generosity has inspired other kids across Canada to raise money.
“They are partnering to see that they can make a difference even at their age,” said Joel.
As the seasons change, Emmett will continue his fundraising efforts and transition from shoveling driveways to mowing lawns.
“It’s great when we teach the next generation of kids who are going to be our leaders and taking care of the world around us that responsibility is great thing and you’re never too young to start.,” said Emmett’s father, Joel.
“Even the smallest thing that you can think of doing has a ripple effect and we never know how far and how wide it’s going to reach.”