Corvallis girls raises money to provide a goat for children in Sudan, and earns a trip to London

Visiting the land of Mary Poppins and Paddington Bear during the Christmas season would be a dream come true for many 7-year-olds. For Cassidy Donaldson, the opportunity to spend a week in London is due to her dedication to helping other children in another far-away land.

Earlier this year, Cassidy, a student at Corvallis Montessori School, began making cat toys out of leather scraps and selling them to raise money for the “Kids for Kids” project, which provides goats to children and their families in Sudan.

She began selling to her friends and family, and then expanded her charity work to the online world. She has now sold around 140 of the toys for $21 each, the price of a goat for the project. Each month, she and her friends Malia, Meaghan, Morgan and Angelica hold Playful Pancake parties (the name of her product) and create a stack of the toys to sell.

“She does them in spurts,” her mother, Kathy, explained.

The money raised is sent to Patricia Parker, the founder of Kids for Kids, who lives in England. Parker was so impressed with Cassidy’s work for the project, she invited her to be a special guest at the Kids for Kids Candlelit Christmas Concert at St. Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge, London.

Kathy, Cassidy, and Kathy’s mother spent Dec. 9-17 in Great Britain, thrilled for an excuse to fly to London. They spent their first two days in the British Museum, where Cassidy became addicted to activity backpacks provided to kids to help them explore various sections of the enormous building, based on different regions of the world represented there.

“When I go back next time, I want to do Mexico and Africa,” she said, listing the only backpacks she missed on her two-day exploration of the famous museum.

Cassidy found lots in London that seemed different than home, from the old buildings to the multitude of taxis. And there was always something to keep her busy.

“We went ice skating in the moat of the Tower of London,” she said.

During the Christmas Concert, Cassidy was interviewed in front of a crowd of celebrities and dignitaries by famous news anchor Alastair Stewart, who is the main presenter for the popular program “London Tonight.” She was also chosen to light the “Candle of Peace” during the ceremony.

For Cassidy, one of the most exciting moments of the trip was spending a day with Patricia Parker, and visiting her farm in the countryside, where she got to pet some goats, including “two little tiny cute goats,” she said, making a small gesture with her fingertips.

During the trip, Cassidy was also honored with a Golden Goat pin by Parker, in tribute to her diligent fund-raising efforts. She was also able to meet with people from Sudan, and see pictures of the children the Kids for Kids project is helping.

Next year, Cassidy said, she wants to make and sell 200 Playful Pancakes, and help buy 200 more goats. And she hopes her own efforts inspire others to become active in changing the world.

“I’m only 7,” she said. “People who are older than me should definitely be able to help.”

At a glance

For more information on Playful Pancakes, see www.playfulpancakes.blogspot.com

For more information on Kids for Kids, go to www.kidsforkids.org.uk