Loading articles...

Alberta boy, 9, surprised with ice cream truck to help him raise money for Ronald McDonald House

Last Updated Aug 18, 2019 at 7:33 pm MDT

Haylen Astalos, 9, has been raising money for the Ronald Mcdonald House from selling ice cream. Over the last few years he's raised more than $30 ,000.

CALGARY – A Grande Prairie boy continued his fundraising success in Calgary with a little bit of a helping hand.

Nine-year-old Haylen Astalos has been raising money for the Ronald McDonald House from selling ice cream and today was surprised with a McFlurry food truck for assistance after reaching his $10,000 goal.

And Haylen says the ice cream truck is a big change from his usual little stand.

“I’ve never sold McFlurries before. What I usually do is I have my little freezer beside me and then my stand and I have all the ice cream in there,” explained Haylen, who said he started with a $1,000 goal, but that quickly jumped to his next goal of $12,023.

“One day I went up to my mom and I asked her, ‘Can we build an ice cream stand? I want to earn money.’ And she asked, ‘What for?’ and I said, ‘I want to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House,'” he explained.

“I want to help kids out there and let them still be close to their family.”

Haylen Astalos, 9, has been raising money for the Ronald Mcdonald House from selling ice cream. This photo was shared on Haylen’s Twitter account, celebrating the last four years of fundraising. Over the last four years, he’s raised more than $30,000 for the charity. (CREDIT: @HaylensShop on Twitter)

Over the last few years, Haylen has raised more than $30,000 for the charity.

“[The money] goes to food and baking and helping people stay in their rooms longer and stuff.”

And according to the fundraising champion’s mom, Tabitha, nothing will slow her son down.

“He says he wants to help all the sick kids in the world,” smiled Tabitha.

“We did not think he would keep going after he reached his first goal. He just keeps saying he has to keep going and set a higher and higher goal each time.”

Tabitha said his last goal took a while to reach and she thought after meeting the $10,005 goal he would take a break from raising money, but that was not the case.

“He came to me and said, ‘Mom, we’re going, we’re doing this and my new goal is $12,023.’ And I said, ‘Let’s go!'”

She said she is so proud of her son and it’s hard to put into words.

-with files from Derek Brade, CityNews