When 9-year-old Carter Bonsdorf passed away, it had a devastating impact on his family, friends, and community at large.
Ten days after his 9th birthday, Carter suffered a major medical event which resulted in a cardiac arrest at home after which he was rushed to the hospital.
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Despite their best efforts, his doctors were unable to save him, and he passed away on August 24th, surrounded by family members.
News of his passing spread quickly among his friends who were shocked and upset by the news, but decided to put their grief aside and rally together to help out the Bonsdorf family.
Iced Tea fundraiser
“When I told my son about Carter he cried, then without saying anything else he went to the fridge to get lemons,” Lindsay Plumb tells Victoria Buzz.
“I asked what he was doing and he said he wanted to help by raising money. All it took was having another friend over to get the group started.”
Plumb’s son, Ashton, and his friends Kesler, Nyla, and Kai then proceeded to create an iced tea stand in front of Northridge Elementary School, with the intention of donating funds raised to the Bonsdorf family.
The movement quickly snowballed, and now there have been around 15 kids working the stand each day since Monday, August 26th.
Community rallies together
According to Plumb, the kids – who range between grades 2 and 5 – tell Carter’s story to everyone who stops by the stand.
The beverages are by donation, and many generous individuals have been contributing between $5-$20 to the cause.
“The kids have been doing door to door sales too,” says Plumb. “3 or 4 kids at a time take a pitcher and cups, then knock on doors to tell the story. Most people donate and decline the beverage.”
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So far, the team has raised $1,420 – exceeding their initial goal of $1,000 – and are now aiming to collect $2,000 for the Bonsdorf family.
Today, the group will be setting up once again in front of Northridge Elementary between 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
A GoFundMe was also started by a family member to give Carter’s immediate family “some financial peace of mind during this time of recovery and healing.” As of the time of publication, it has raised $19,185 out of the $25,000 goal.
Iced Tea stand for Carter Bonsdorf
- When: Thursday, August 29th, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
- Where: Outside Northridge Elementary School, 4190 Carey Road
