By DAVID JANZEN Staff Writer

A day after officials in Haiti call off search and rescue efforts, one determined first grader in Welland begins her fundraising campaign. Six-year-old Allie Hampson, a student at Alexander Kuska Catholic Elementary School, was moved by the videos, stories and pictures she saw on the news and was inspired by celebrities during Friday night’s Canada for Haiti telethon.  

“This was 100 per cent Allie’s idea,” says Melissa Hampson, Allie’s mother. On Jan. 23, with the help of her family, she setup a hot chocolate stand near Woodlawn Park on Woodlawn Road.

For $1, passersby receive a cup of hot chocolate, and for an extra quarter, Allie ads a generous dollop of whipped cream. “Allie was upset on Thursday when she saw all the collapsed houses and schools in Haiti. She decided she wanted to help,” says Frank Hampson, Allie’s father. “So on Friday night we put together the Haitian flags and made our sign: Hot Chocolate for Haiti.”

Christina Bradley and Kathleen Goodman, both of Welland, bought some of Allie’s hot chocolate on their way to the rink in the park. “It’s important to contribute to anything setup to support others,” says Bradley. Goodman says she is “Beyond impressed. Her [Allie’s] heart is shining; it’s really special to see kids helping other kids.”

It was a little late in the week to get the word out at her school, says Frank, but it didn’t hamper the fundraising efforts. After four hours of continuous kettle boiling and hot chocolate mixing, Allie was able to raise $308.14, which, when matched by the Canadian government, brings the total to $616.28. “We’re sending the money to Canada for Haiti because we know the government is matching donations dollar for dollar,” says Melissa.

The Hampsons’ makeshift hot chocolate stand includes a patio table, a single-burner camp stove, a few kettles, jugs of water, cans of whipped cream and enough hot chocolate mix to sustain a Saturday-long sugar rush.

Kris Tessier, Allie’s senior kindergarten teacher, is proud of her former student and says, “The hot chocolate is awesome.”

Allie says she wants to help rebuild houses and would ask the kids in Haiti if they were OK. She pauses to think for a moment, her eyes growing wide beneath her pink-hooded parka then speaks with conviction, “I’d tell them to keep on trying. I wish I could save them all.”