With visions of a popcorn party at school, six-year-old Cohen Sateana-Cormier emptied two piggy banks and raised all the donations he could for the Ikurraq Food Bank in Rankin Inlet.
Candis Cormier, his mom, said his class had a challenge to collect canned goods to donate May 25. Sateana-Cormier’s goal was 88 cans.
Asked what he had done, Sateana-Cormier said, “Get canned goods for the people that need it.”
“He has always saved his money and chooses to use it wisely,” said Cormier about her son, who’s in Grade 1 in Rankin Inlet.
And the reward: “We get a popcorn party, and guess what?” he asked, about to smile, as his mother recorded a video interview of him. “We’re going to get a pizza party.”
His mom said, “Cohen asked if we can collect cans and also requested to use his money to buy more. He emptied two piggy banks and totalled over $140.”
He was also given more donations and electronic money transfers.
Before the final results had been revealed, Cormier said, “He is excited because he knows that this will benefit our community members and his class can win a popcorn party. There are donations from community members as well as others from social media. He is also very thankful for the donations.”
In the end, Sateana-Cormier amassed 99 cans.
“We just picked up the last donation request now – we are both exhausted,” wrote Cormier. “The last house, he knew he was past his goal. As we were leaving her house, he said, ‘I think I’m going to cry.’”
She said the rest of the class had an overflowing amount of gifts too.