He has raised thousands of dollars for charity over the past three years so Andrei Marti may not be your average 10-year-old, but like all kids he loves to ride his bike.
Sadly, both of his bicycles, given to him by the Vancouver Island charity Help Fill a Dream and by a donor to the charity, were stolen this summer.
Andrei has never forgotten how special those gifts were to him, and he’s showed his appreciation by fundraising for the charity and others
Help Fill a Dream, which supports kids with severe health challenges on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, says he has raised nearly $10,000 for them including by busking, recycling bottles and cans, and selling lemonade.
A Type 1 Diabetic, Andrei also raises money to find a cure and is a Youth Ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
So as soon as word started to spread that a kid renowned for his generosity had been the victim of two bike thefts, others jumped in to help.
Superheroes of Victoria and Flying Squirrel Victoria joined forces to make sure Andrei was back on two-wheels.
“When we found out that Andrei’s bike had been stolen we knew there was only one option,” reads a post on the Flying Squirrel Facebook page.
“We salute Andrei and his positive attitude and charitable nobility.”
A video on the Facebook page shows Andrei being given a new blue BMX.
“Oh my gosh, I don’t even really know what to say,” he said.
“That is so cool.”
Help Fill a Dream also posted a message on Facebook after learning their fundraising phenom had been given a new bike.
“Thank you doesn’t seem to be enough but thank you!!!”
CHEK News
