麻豆社国产boys Nathan Quesnel, 12, and Kory Brooks, 10, set up a lemonade stand in their Northyards neighbourhood late last week, hopeful they could raise enough with their $1- per-cup sale to get Quesnel an electric scooter.
The boys also planned other ways to make the money for the scooter, like bottle collecting and doing chores around the house, Quesnel's dad, Ray, told The 麻豆社国产.
Soon after setting up their stand, the venture grabbed the attention of Derek Pickford, who works for Surerus Murphy Joint Venture, which is working on the Eagle Mountain-Woodfibre Gas Pipeline Project.
Pickford, originally from Newfoundland but now living in Edmonton (though he’s been in B.C. since September for the project), was driving by on his way back to the warehouse where he is based in the BC Rail yards.
He stopped to get a cool drink from the boys on the warm afternoon.
He soon learned that Quesnel, who mountain bikes, skateboards, and is a self-taught drummer, also has Jansen-deVries syndrome, which means he has cognitive challenges that make some things harder for him.
Quesnel’s buddy Brooks was helping manage the money side of the lemonade selling.
Pickford dropped $100 in cash at the stand and took all the lemonade, saying he would bring the jugs back to the warehouse for his workmates and return them the next day.
Pickford went back to the warehouse and told his boss—who also happens to share the name Nathan—and got the nod of approval he needed.
He set about buying Quesnel that electric scooter.
There wasn't a suitable one locally, so fellow Surerus employee, Matt "Spud" Pederson, headed to the city to pick one up.
On Friday, Pederson and Pickford returned and surprised the boys, not only with the cash and scooter, but also with a $100 gift card for Dairy Queen, because Ray said the boys wanted to scooter there.
Quesnel couldn't quite believe it, Pickford recalled to The 麻豆社国产 shortly after the exchange.
"He took it out, and he ran back to get his helmet, then he drove it up and down the driveway," said Pickford, who has a 21-year-old daughter.
He works in town for about five weeks, then goes home to his family.
What touched him about the boys, beyond their drive to raise money in a homegrown way, was also their friendship.
"Kory is almost like a big brother to [Nathan], it seemed to me. I guess a protector, right? So that was pretty cool to see," he said, agreeing that stories of bullying make headlines, but there aren't as many stories of kids helping each other out, like these boys.
"Mission accomplished, two happy friends that can go riding and eat ice cream ‘till it comes out of their ears," Pickford shared on his personal Facebook page.
Quesnel’s father Ray, who was born and raised in town, reached out to The 麻豆社国产, wanting to share the story.
"It is really neat seeing it from one side—back in the day, when I was growing up, it was loggers working from out of town, making the town. Now it is employees from all over the world making this town grow," he said.
This isn't Pickford's first such endeavour; part of his job is to hand out funds in each community in which his company completes a project.
Supported by Surerus, he raises funds through a licensed 50/50 fundraiser, in partnership with United Way and then gives the funds away in those communities.
So far, on this project, he has raised $48,000 to give to local organizations.
"We're hoping to help out a lot more people here," Pickford said.
Usually, he hands over cheques to groups, not individuals.
He had been returning from the bank, getting a $2,000 cheque for a local organization, when he saw the boys' stand.
"Every story is not $3,000 or $5,000, but the fact that total strangers— pipeliners in this case—took the time to stop, listen and learn from kids that friendship knows no bounds, was well worth it and then some," he said.
