A SIX-YEAR-OLD East Linton boy has collected £320 for Ukraine thanks to his drawing skills.
Harris Thomas, a pupil at East Linton Primary School, set out to raise £10 for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine appeal but far surpassed that target.
He has a two-year-old sister Megan and an older brother Evan, 8, whose questions about the situation in Ukraine had piqued his interest.
He set up a stall, with help from parents Evie and Rhodri, on the family driveway on Dunpender Road, drawing pictures and selling them as colouring sheets to neighbours, friends and passers-by.
Harris said: “I was just doing some drawing and I thought I could sell them for people to colour in and give the money to the people in Ukraine as they have had to leave their homes.
“They are 10p each and an extra 5p if you want a signed copy.”
Harris with his stall
And the young charitable entrepreneur managed to raise £320, to the surprise of his mother Evie.
She said: “The weekend before last, he was just sitting drawing; he loves art, that’s his thing.”
Harris said to his mum that maybe he could sell some of his art for people to colour in.
Evie then asked Harris what they would do with the money and immediately he said they should give it to the people of Ukraine.
'The response has been massive'
She said: “He’s only six, he’s primary one; part of me was like ‘that’s quite a lot on your shoulders’, but he was well up for it.”
“It’s so heartwarming that everybody wanted to help – the response has been massive.
“[There were] people coming, strangers walking past; we even had a couple of guys in either a Scottish Gas or British Gas van drive past – they saw his wee sign, drove back up the road and came out the car and asked him what he was doing and they gave him £10. He can’t believe it, he’s in shock.”
Evie has also praised the local community in East Linton, who have rallied together in light of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
She said: “The community spirit has been lovely – there’s been lots of things going on, I know there’s a lot going on at The Mart.
“I just think as a community we come together and show support.”
Local businesses also supported Harris’ campaign, displaying his drawings in their windows.
Evie said: “One of the hairdressers asked if they could put some at the front desk to help out and they’ve had people donate money.
“They said that there was actually somebody from Ukraine that was in there getting a haircut and was really touched by it.”
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