Oscar Oliver's goal is to continue helping children of the world and be a role model to young people in Canada.
He's off to a fine start.
At his recent Grade 8 graduation ceremony at Warnica Public School the 13-year-old Oliver received the Kiwanis Club of Barrie Citizenship Award for his Buy a Backpack campaign, which he started 15 months ago for Ukrainian war refugee children who fled to Poland.
“I was so surprised when they called out my name to receive the award,” he stated in a news release. “But this award is not just for me but for everyone who has supported, and donated to, my backpack campaign.”
“My original goal when the war began was to supply 200 backpacks to the children — each one filled with school and educational items, toys, games, personal supplies, candy and Lego," Oliver added.
"However, thanks to all the support I received, I have so far supplied over 2,500 filled backpacks for the refugee children and other kids in need which I delivered to the children, and to various organizations, on my four trips to Poland over the past 15 months."
Since the war began, 500 Ukrainian children have been killed, 1,000 seriously wounded and, according to UNICEF, more than 1.1 million refugee children have fled to Poland, the release added.
Oliver has seen first-hand how an item as small as a backpack, with small personal gifts, can mean so much to others in need.
“I want to continue helping as many children as I can and continue to be a role model to other young Canadians,” he said.
Now he has one more mission. He has been invited to be guest of honour at a gala summer event for 350 Ukrainian refugee children and Polish sick kids, which takes place in Warsaw Aug. 25. As this will be his last campaign trip this year, he has pledged to provide each of the children at the event with a new backpack filled with presents and supplies,
To support the campaign, visit his website www.oscaroliver.org. One new backpack, filled with all the presents and supplies, costs $50 which the Children’s Foundation in Poland, Fundacja Dziecięca Fantazja, purchases on his behalf. Oliver will be filling the backpacks and personally handing them out to the children at the event in Warsaw.
