At the tender age of 11, Alberta Ecotrust's youngest donor is the walking, and definitely talking, embodiment of our "Live Green, Give Green" philosophy. Sophie Barry's recent gift of $300 to the foundation made her one of a rare breed of Albertans -- the four percent who donate to environmental causes. And her poised presentation to a packed house at the City of Calgary's recent Low Carbon Future Summit has inspired classmates and adults alike to elevate their thinking about charitable giving.

 Alberta Ecotrust needs you to join Sophie in donating to Albertans who work to protect our extraordinary environment.  For more about her remarkable story, to see her presentation, and to learn more about our Live Green, Give Green 2009 campaign, see below.

In most respects, Sophie Barry is like a lot of other 11-year old girls in Alberta.  She likes school, she loves her ballet classes, and she spends as many quality hours as she can with her dog. And, like a lot of young people, she thinks making the world a better place is a good idea.

 What sets Sophie apart is her determination to act on behalf of that idea.  Late last summer, Sophie sent us a card that detailed her determination.  Handmade and hand-coloured, the card is Earth-shaped, with a picture of our planet on one side, and the following carefully lettered message on the other:

 Dear Alberta Ecotrust Foundation,

My name is Sophie Barry.  Recently, I celebrated my 11^th birthday with an environmentally-friendly party. In lieu of gifts, I requested that the guests bring a donation to your foundation.  Together we raised a total of $300.00.  I greatly appreciate the work your foundation does.  It is vital that foundations and organizations like yours successfully promote environmental initiatives. By doing what you achieve, you are protecting the earth, and preserving it for future generations.

Thank-you,

Sophie Barry

 We don't get cards like that from 11-year-olds every day, and we wanted to get to know the author.  As we suspected, we discovered an exceptional child, and one who was gaining a reputation for her advocacy. She had already been asked to give a presentation at Calgary's Low Carbon Future Summit, an opportunity she used to tell the story of her birthday and to urge the audience to find their own unique ways to live green, and to making giving green a part of that life.

 After spending time with Sophie, Alberta Ecotrust executive director Pat Letizia said she was probably most impressed with Sophie's approach to making her donation. "It started with a lucky coincidence and a suggestion from an Ecotrust volunteer that Sophie consider donating her birthday money to us," Pat explains, "but Sophie then really followed through, checking out just how we would use her donation. She liked the idea of her money going to several different kinds of projects and joining her donation with others for better impacts.  I was so energized:  here's a child who really wants to do something important, and is going out of her way to make a difference.  Sophie's story  strengthens my resolve and gives me a lot of hope for the future."

 Alberta Ecotrust needs you to join Sophie in donating to Albertans who work to protect our extraordinary environment.  For more information, and to donate, click here.

 To see Sophie's presentation to Calgary's Low Carbon Future Summit on Youtube, click here.