Christmas Appeal: Students put less fortunate first

Alice Dobbie (left) with fellow mufti-day organisers Briarly Dodunskie and Zoe Isaacs. Photo / Stephen Parker

A schoolgirl with a big heart has decided that giving is better than receiving this Christmas.

Alice Dobbie, 13, a student at Chapman College Rotorua, recently won $50 in a school fundraiser but decided she did not need it.

"I felt kind of rats putting the money into my own bank account," she said.

So she talked to her aunty and her granny about who might need the money and together they came to the conclusion that, because it was Christmas time, families would be in need of food.

Alice's granny gave her an extra $20 and last week she went shopping for $70 worth of non-perishable food.

Alice has decided to give the food to the Salvation Army Foodbank, but she is not stopping there.

"Christmas is coming up and I know that it's a hard time for families who don't have enough money ... I talked to my principal about a mufti day where instead of bringing a gold coin, we bring a can of food or pasta."

Alice and friends Zoe Isaacs, 11, and Briarly Dodunskie, 12, went around the school's classrooms yesterday, to let the students know about the mufti day on Friday.

Alice's aunty, Kiryn Dobbie, said she thought what Alice was doing was great.

"She's a really cool kid."

The Rotorua Daily Post's Christmas Appeal in aid of the Salvation Army Foodbank is currently under way.

If your school, club or workplace is planning a fundraising event, we would love to hear about it.