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Surrey student, 6, raises more than half of school’s $10,473 total, then donates prize toy

‘I want to help people,’ says Maeva Bhullar at Sullivan Elementary
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Sullivan Elementary student Maeva Bhullar, 6, skips rope at the school on Friday, May 27. The Grade 1 student raised $6,126 during the school’s Jump Rope for Heart campaign. (Photo: Tom Zillich)

At age six, Maeva Bhullar is already one phenomenal fundraiser.

The Surrey Grade 1 student collected more than half of his school’s grand total during a month-long Jump Rope for Heart campaign.

Maeva shrewdly raised $6,126, pushing Sullivan Elementary’s total to $10,473, good for second place among all participating schools in B.C. and Yukon.

“I want to help people,” said Maeva, who raised money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada without much help from dad Barinder and mom Seema.

“He wanted to raise the money, and the rule was is that he had to call people himself,” Barinder noted. “So he made a list, called people and followed up with them. Anybody who donated had to get a call from him, that’s how it happened, and he was pretty determined.

“He went to his uncle’s law firm and presented to lawyers, and every day he’d come home and ask us, ‘Who can I call next?’ It was all him. He was pretty motivated.”

A registered nurse, Seema manages the surgical area at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

“We always talk about the heart and how important it is — so I guess he took that to heart,” Seema said with a laugh.

“It developed confidence in him, going out there and talking to people about raising money,” Barinder added. “We just wanted to support him.”

School principal Rachel Der emailed this newspaper with a story tip about Maeva’s fundraising. “We think it would be great to acknowledge his hard work and service,” Der said.

On Friday (May 27), students at the school jumped rope for about 30 minutes, following a campaign-ending ceremony honouring Maeva and other students who raised the most money.

As the school’s top fundraiser, Maeva won a Slip’n Slide water toy. When his proud parents reminded him that he already had one, Maeva had an idea.

“Maybe I’ll donate that one then,” he proclaimed.

And that’s exactly what he’s done.



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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