Writing stories and drawing pictures is normal entertainment for children, but for 26 Richmond kids it means more than just fun.
BC Children’s Hospital is this cause that the Kids Power Society is working hard to fundraise for this winter. Photo submitted
Eight-year-old Alia Kong and 25 friends created a collaborative storybook and a non-profit organization called Kids Power Society to fundraise money for BC Children’s Hospital this winter.
The young storytellers had set their goal to raise $350 for the hospital by Dec. 31, but as of Nov. 12, they have only raised $94 and are asking the public for help.
Each book is being sold for $25 and for every book sold, $1 will be donated to the cause.
Jenny Lau, Alia’s mother, said the production cost of the books barely allows them to donate the dollar to the charity and in order to reach the kids’ goal of $350, they would have to sell 256 more books.
The book titled Kids Power Academy: Superheroes Assembly is the brainchild of the 26 kids in the organization, which started taking shape this past summer with the help of the Richmond Public Library providing a gathering space for them.
BC Children’s Hospital is this cause that the Kids Power Society is working hard to fundraise for this winter. Photo submitted
Filled with character profiles and 10 chapters of stories, the book includes nothing short of superheroes and superpowers to save the day.
However, the underlying messages of these stories teach other kids about bigger concerns in society like environmental issues and how “people shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”
“I like chapter seven because my message is to not be ignorant and that everyone should have their own identity,” said Alia, adding that the story reminded her to face problems head on and to not ignore them.
Ryder Chow, age six, and Naisha Khurana, nine, both find the book a great way to share their stories of important community concerns as well as a way to reach out and communicate with other kids.
Kids Power Society invites other kids to “share and create ideas to give back to the community.”
Alia added that the society “created the book with the message for kids to keep dreaming, to never give up on things you like, because one day we can change the world.”
Supporters can find the kids at the Cannery Farmer’s Market on Dec. 1 and at Britannia Shipyard Craft Fair on Dec. 8 for those who want to learn more about their organization and to purchase a copy of their book.
Books can also be purchased online.
