LEDREW.
Although he has no children of his own, Kevin LeDrew, seen here in his kayak, has a goal to raise $30,000 to grant the wishes of three very sick children through the Children's Wish Foundation. His employer has agreed to match the funds raised.
THE MUSKOKAN - There are some very sick children who need a bit of help making their wishes come true.
Kevin LeDrew wants to help fulfill the wishes of three children with a kayaking fundraiser in support of the Children’s Wish Foundation.
LeDrew, an account manager at an investment bank in Toronto, will be kayaking across Lake Rosseau.
“I’m blessed to have the chance to help out some kids who aren’t as fortunate as maybe your kids are,” said LeDrew. “I don’t have kids, but these kids certainly aren’t as fortunate as some of my buddy’s kids. I can’t think of a reason why I shouldn’t be doing it.”
The Children’s Wish Foundation provides very sick children with an experience of a lifetime. Since its creation in 1984, the organization has fulfilled more than 18,000 wishes. Wishes have been everything from meeting a celebrity to going to Disneyland.
LeDrew’s employer, Macquarie Group, will match every donation made. The goal of the event is to raise $30,000 – the estimated cost for three wishes to be granted.
LeDrew’s original plan was just to collect money for the cause, but Macquarie Group said they would only double the donations if some sort of event was held.
“I was just going to reach out to my buddies and say, ‘Hey, want to try and help get three dying children a wish?’ I just knew they would step up and sponsor me,” LeDrew said. “They wouldn’t care about an event. They would just say ‘OK, we’re going to do this,’ but the bank said it has to be an event or else we can’t match it.”
Describing himself as a “pretty active guy,” LeDrew said the distance won’t be difficult for him at all.
At the time of publication, LeDrew had raised $6,976 not including the money Macquarie Group will put in.
To donate money for the fundraiser, visit LeDrew’s Children’s Wish Foundation webpage at my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1498234&langPref=en-CA. All donators will receive a tax receipt.