Local brothers helping Australia tragedy cause with magnets

Louis and Franklin Tremblay stand in front of their refrigerator which is covered with the special magnets they created to help raise funds for the fire victims in Australia.

by Rich Rosentreter

An effort to make a monetary donation to help animals and people suffering in Australia due to the recent rash of fires is underway by a local first-grader who attends the L.P. Quinn Elementary School. As of Tuesday, the a GoFundMe page set up for the effort had raised nearly $700.

Six-year-old Franklin Tremblay, who is being helped by his younger brother Louis, age 4 and a Pre-K student in Long Lake, first learned about the fires in Australia at school. Frankie is a sensitive youngster and seeing such suffering had an impact on him. Frankie’s mother Shannon spoke to the Free Press on Monday and said that her son became heartbroken watching images of animals and people suffering.

According to Shannon, it was the images of the koalas that first grasped little Frankie’s attention and as he learned more he found out that people were losing their homes.

“He became really interested in learning more and began reading a bunch of articles and watching videos on Youtube,” she said. “He decided he wanted to do something to help, so he came up with the idea of selling magnets to raise money. His little brother copies whatever he does, so he wanted to help out too.”

Among the videos Frankie watched were that of firefighters dropping water on the fire ravaged landscape.

“He was watching all of it and began asking a lot of questions,” Shannon said, so she explained to her young son that it was dry season in Australia and they needed rain. “He was very relieved to see they got some, but he was really concerned about the koala population and that it was dropping as a result of the fires.”

Both Frankie and Louis told the Free Press about their thoughts on helping the fire victims.

“It (raising money) makes me feel happy because I’m helping the people and koalas who have lost their homes,” Frankie said.

“I feel sad that fire hurts their homes. I’m going to make magnets for everyone!” Louis said.

The magnets

Shannon said that the magnets her sons are creating are small but large in meaning.

“They’re always making things and always making crafts. (Making magnets) is an easy thing to do,” she said. “They were thinking hard on exactly what to do and that is what they came up with. People would always see them on their refrigerator and think about Australia.”

The magnets are being send to donors in sets.

“One has a picture of a koala and the other a picture of Australia,” Shannon said, adding that a pair is being given to everyone who makes a donation.

“Originally Frankie wanted to send the magnets directly to Australia, but I explained how that would work and that it would just be easier to send the money over there.”

The boys began making and selling the magnets on Sunday and as of Monday they had already made 100 magnets and had sold 88 of them, or 44 sets. They are in the process of mailing them out and collecting the donations – and of course making more magnets.

According to Shannon, Frankie had set a goal of raising $100 but he quickly exceeded that expectation in about two hours as nine people had paid about $200 so far. And although most of the magnets have been sold locally, one donation came as far as Hawaii from Frankie’s uncle Jason.

Shannon, who is a teacher at the L.P. Quinn School, said she is not sure how much her sons will raise, but the current plan is not to sell magnets too long, perhaps another week or so.

“We really don’t know how much is going to come in,” she said.

There is no set cost for a set of magnets, as the boys are only asking a donation to their cause. Shannon said people may donate any amount and she has helped the boys by creating a GoFundMe page – and Frankie has blown far past his original goal.

Whatever amount the Frankie is able to generate for the fire victims in Australia, he has a pair of very proud parents in Shannon and her husband Josh regarding their son’s effort and motivation to help others.

“I’m so proud of him. We’re just really proud that he’s taken an interest in something other than himself and his toys,” Shannon said. “It really affected him and I’m really proud to see his brother view him as a role model.”

“And I think he’s really feels good about himself as well. This is something that is beyond himself.”

Those who wish to make a donation to help the fire victims on behalf of Frankie and Louie, and receive a pair of magnets, should visit the link to GoFundMe at: www.gofundme.com/f/frankie-and-louis039-australian-relief-effort?utm. Donations will go to the Australian Red Cross and WIRES, Australian Wildlife Rescue Organization (WIRES).