Though 10-year-old Zander Wright and his family were not evacuated when forest fires came close to Conception Bay South, N.L., this past summer, he was scared and worried. Not just for himself, but for the people around him.

Channeling these feelings, Zander decided to help others who needed it, utilizing a unique skill—playing the accordion.

Rewarding Efforts

Derived from his love of Newfoundland traditional music and time spent listening to the genre with his father, Zander began playing the accordion when he was only nine.

Despite feeling nervous performing at first, Zander—who now has experience playing at the CBS Performing Arts Association Open Mic and the local Masonic Lodge senior’s pizza lunch—believes “it gets easier over time.”

Aware that he could use his skill to help others, Zander connected with a family friend who runs a convenience store in the Upper Gullies neighbourhood, who had started collecting donations.

Setting up outside the store, Zander busked for around 13 hours spread over a week, and he spent a day performing at a downtown mall. Gracing customers and passersby with the sound of his accordion and highlighting his initiative, his efforts raised $300.

“Use your skills for good and spend time with other people who do this, too.” ZANDER WRIGHT

Lifting Others Up

Having busked with the intention of donating to the wildfire relief effort, Zander encountered The Salvation Army when he and his parents arrived at the nearby evacuation centre.

“I knew The Salvation Army was a group of people who help others,” Zander says of his familiarity with the organization. “I’ve been to the church for piano recitals and a musical theatre performance.”

Zander, feeling proud and happy to have helped, promptly donated his hard-earned money to Bruce Cluett, emergency disaster services team lead at The Salvation Army’s Mount Pearl Citadel.

Bruce recalled seeing Zander standing in the lobby holding a plastic bag with “a bunch of money in it.”

Remembering that it was a rough time, with the stress and difficulty of taking care of the affected people’s physical and emotional needs, Bruce describes his interaction with Zander as uplifting.

“It was such a wonderful gesture to see it coming from a family, because it was not only him, but his parents were there as well. I think that’s important. The Salvation Army is very appreciative of Zander’s desire to help, and the people around the area are as well.”

Though Zander’s family has never been directly involved with The Salvation Army, Zander’s mother, Karen, believes family values, such as respecting others and serving, have helped Zander to begin noticing opportunities where he can make a difference.

“Zander is discovering that helping others lifts us all up.”

Speaking specifically about The Salvation Army, Karen says that having seen the organization in action around the community “helping with real needs,” she was “happy to help Zander pass on his collections to it.”

“Just Start and Help”

Shortly after busking, Zander performed at a wildfire fundraiser in Mount Pearl. He already has plans to use his accordion to raise money for the Salvation Army Christmas kettles.

After the events of the summer, Zander, his family and all of Newfoundland and Labrador know just how quickly a small fire can spread, move from one tree to another and cause increased harm as it grows.

But good deeds and positive actions can also start small, with just one person, spread quickly and rapidly, and together grow into something large enough to combat and snuff out destruction.

Zander understands this.

“Young people—just start and help wherever you can,” he says. “Use your skills for good and spend time with other people who do this, too. You will encourage and help each other.”