One of the most inspiring things that we see at Shine is when our recipients, those young people who have received a Shine Experience or have been on a Shine DreamLift, become active in helping others. In 2015, Shine fulfilled a fitness experience for Brantford, ON teen Nathan, who despite living with cerebral palsy, wanted to be able to ride a bike and to just be a kid. Nathan was beyond excited to receive a tandem bicycle from Shine that allowed him to do just that. Feeling the wind on his face and a new found sense of freedom and independence inspired Nathan to ‘pay it forward’ so that kids across Canada living with similar challenges could have their Shine Experiences fulfilled too.
Together, Nathan and his Mom Lynn decided that the best kind of fundraiser that Nathan could actively participate in would be a garage sale with all the proceeds going to Shine. He had hoped to raise $500 in 2015, but the community really rallied and they ended up making $1,300! His smile that day was huge and his pride at what he had accomplished brought tears to Lynn’s eyes.
Inspired by his caring spirit, the Shine Foundation decided to help Nathan ‘pay it forward’ by turning what is now an annual garage sale at Nathan’s home into a national event called ‘Nathan’s Garage Sale’. Volunteers from across the country were invited to host their own Nathan’s Garage Sale this summer, raising money to support Shine Programs. To Nathan’s delight, the campaign has been a great success with ten sales already held in communities from Newfoundland to Southwest Ontario and just under $10,000 raised.
“Nathan says he loves helping youth like him to have their experiences fulfilled he loves the Shine Foundation. Together we came up with the garage sale idea with proceeds being donated to Shine. What a fun way to raise money for our favourite foundation. Now a nation-wide event ‘Nathan's Garage Sale’ is such an honour for Nathan and our family. We are so proud of his big heart and true generosity.” - Lynn.
This year, Nathan and Lynn’s garage sale was held on June 18th. With a huge turnout and support from the Brantford community they raised $1,700.
“Nathan’s commitment to the Shine Foundation is truly inspiring. Between last year's sale and this year's we are thrilled to have presented Shine with a total of $3,000.”
- Lynn (a VERY proud Mom).
There’s still time to help Nathan pay it forward. More sales are happening in communities across the country. Visit DreamRaiser for more information on how you can host your own.
