Momentum is already building for the Hearts in Motion campaign to raise the final $36,000 needed to buy robotic legs for three-year-old Brielle.
A community-wide fundraiser is underway with the goal of reaching that amount by June 14. Organizer Dan Kroffat is urging residents to pitch in by holding garage sales, bottle drives and other creative fundraisers.
He said that since launching the campaign last Friday, several groups — including Cochrane’s strong Filipino community — have stepped forward with plans to host their own garage sales ahead of the June 14 wrap-up at Cochrane Toyota.
One family even plans to sell all of their furniture at their moving-out garage sale and donate the proceeds to Hearts in Motion.
Kroffat is asking participants to bring their raised funds to Cochrane Toyota on June 14 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., where a fundraising barometer will be updated live.
The celebration will offer more than just a donation drop-off. There will be hamburgers, refreshments, a silent auction and door prizes, including a $500 grocery gift certificate sponsored by MLA Peter Guthrie. The mayor and other local politicians are also expected to attend.
Brielle’s mother, Michelle Aguilar, has been tirelessly working to raise the $43,000 needed for the robotic assistive devices. She said she’s thrilled with the outpouring of support from the community.
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The event on June 14 also happens to fall on Kroffat’s 80th birthday — a date he shares with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“It’s kind of an exciting day, more for me than Donald,” Kroffat said with a laugh. “But what’s really great is that we’ve got time on our side.”
“This is a tremendous, compelling initiative,” he added. “I just hope we as a community can get this job done for her. If this is one of my last campaigns in the community, I would really like to see it as a pinnacle.”
Kroffat said the idea for Hearts in Motion was inspired by a similar initiative he led about 12 years ago to support the Cochrane Humane Society. That campaign raised enough through community garage sales to quickly fund a veterinary clinic room — a project that had initially been scheduled for years down the road.
“We were overwhelmed by the support back then,” he said. “I think we can do it again.”