'Every kid deserves a present': Young runner goes the extra mile for CFAX's Santas Anonymous
With so many people in need this holiday season, one 11-year-old boy with a passion for running has decided to use his skill to raise money for CFAX’s Santas Anonymous, an island charity that donates gifts and hampers to families during the holidays.
Nikolas Tolias will set out this Sunday morning and run three times around the Cedar Hill Golf Course in Saanich, B.C, for a total of 10 kilometres. He's hoping to raise $10,000 for the Christmas charity with his fundraiser.
As of Friday, he's raised roughly $4,300 on his fundraising page which he started at the end of October.
The young runner and his family donate toys every year to CFAX’s Santas Anonymous, but this year, he felt the need was much greater.
"I’m doing this because I feel like every Christmas that every kid deserves a present, ‘cause it will just bring warmth to their heart that they’re not forgotten," said Tolias.
"If you can make a difference, you should make it, like in a good way, ‘cause on the bright side it will probably change the whole world," said the 11-year-old.
Nikolas plays soccer regularly and runs around the Cedar Hill Golf Course every week with his mom, one of his favorite things he likes to do.
This fundraising run will only be the second time he has run 10 kilometres all in one go, which he expects to complete in an hour alongside his mom.
He is grateful to all the people who have donated so far, but he says he can only reach his goal with everyone’s help.
On Friday afternoon, Tolias received some big help in his fundraising goal.
Realtors from REMAX Generation have decided to help Tolias by matching donations to his fundraising page until he meet his goal of $10,000.
For example, your $100 donation turns into a $200 donation between now and Sunday when the fundraising campaign ends.
Tolias says by helping him, you will help hundreds of kids wake up the same way he does on Christmas morning, with excitement and a smile in his heart.
"This has been a tough year for so many people, and if you can just give a little or a lot to those people who are in need of things, it will make them happy and it will just make them understand that they are not forgotten and they will always have a bright side to look forward to," he said.
Tolias will start his run at 8 a.m. along with his mom, rain or shine, at the Cedar Hill Golf Course clubhouse on Sunday morning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.