Calgary boy raises thousands for Ukraine with bottle drive

A Calgary boy started a bottle drive to help people in Ukraine affected by the war — and the fundraiser is now pushing five figures.

River Backwell, 6, says that when he saw images of Ukrainian children who were unsafe, he felt scared and sad for them.

He decided to start a bottle drive to raise money for the Red Cross, and had a goal in mind: $100.

"I thought we could bring money," River said. "Give them food and a place to stay."

River's mom, Kailey Beddoe, put a poster for her son's initiative on her Instagram. She says she expected to receive about 20 bags of recycling from friends and family.

They had no idea, Beddoe said.

"We came home from a night away and our front porch was piled so high that we could barely get in our front door," Beddoe said.

"So I think once we realized that, we knew that maybe this could be a little bit bigger than we originally planned."

River has collected about 160 bags so far, Beddoe says, plus $2,000 in cash donations.

His goal has now skyrocketed to $10,000 — and with a promise from River's grandparents to match what he raises, the hope is that it amounts to $20,000 in total.

A bigger difference

With the garage door raised to expose bags of bottles piled almost to the ceiling, the five-figure goal doesn't seem out of reach.

River expects that the bottles will be able to fill the entirety of their backyard and garage.

And the response has left him amazed and shocked, he says. Still, the process is arduous, even though his dad helps with the bags.

"We had to walk everywhere," River said. "I just carry a few [bags]. The heavy ones, I don't carry. The light ones, I carry."

But the importance of the fundraiser makes it all worthwhile.

"We can make a bigger difference," River said. "We can get them more food, and all of them can have places to stay … that's actually warm, like us. Like at my house."

For Beddoe, it's been pretty amazing to watch. Friends, family and community members jumped to support the fundraiser, she says, and a kid prompted it all.

"Being able to just do something from wherever we are in the world makes a big difference," Beddoe said.

"And knowing that a six-year-old has that insight is, I think, inspiring to a lot of people — to realize we can all do something, even if it's pretty small to start with."