ST. PAUL - Alexandra Kerr spent a successful day outside the Sobeys grocery store on July 16, raising $400 for a cause near and dear to the young girl's heart.
Now a healthy eight-year-old, Alexandra was born 10 weeks early and spent time at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton as a preemie.
"It was pretty scary," recalls Carmen Kerr, Alexandra's mom. Thankfully, her daughter is now perfectly healthy, but Carmen still remembers the support and care she received when her daughter was in the hospital.
Carmen says Alexandra has been wanting to organize a fundraiser to help give back to the hospital that cared for her as a baby. So, as restrictions around the pandemic began to lift, Alexandra organized a lemonade and doughnut stand at the Sobeys grocery store in St. Paul earlier this month.
Alexandra was able to raise a healthy sum in about six hours, with many people simply donating because they wanted to, explains Carmen. She says her daughter was excited to see the $5 bills and sometimes even $20 bills handed to her.
Rather than donate the funds directly to the hospital, Carmen pulled from her own experience to help her daughter give back. When Alexandra was a newborn, Carmen says she was very appreciative to receive preemie-sized onesies from the hospital.
So, the pair took a trip to a store that carries preemie onesies, which can be quite hard to find, says Carmen. Alexandra was able to pick out a bunch of different little outfits. The baby clothes were then donated to the Royal Alexandra hospital and will now be given to families who receive care at the facility.