CASTLE ROCK — CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — After the Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Denver7 Gives started a Wildfire Relief Fund to help people impacted by the tragedy. As of Friday, the fund has raised nearly half a million dollars, thanks to the generosity of Coloradans.
On Sunday, a little of that money was spent executing a young girl's idea.
Marian Cole said she was shopping with her daughter Farrah on January 3 when Farrah began putting toys into their shopping cart. At first, Marian did not know why her six-year-old daughter was doing this.
“Can we get them? And I said, oh no, we can't. We just had Christmas. And we don't need that. But then she was like, it's not for me. It's for those kids that lost everything. And I couldn't say no," explained Marian.
Marian and Farrah started shopping for the children who lost their homes in the Marshall Fire. The duo began by filling six backpacks with toys selected by Farrah.
“We have these very rare teachable moments, where you just are given the opportunity to let your kid show their compassion," said Marian.
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Marian made a post on their neighborhood website, encouraging others to participate in "Farrah's Challenge" and fill a backpack. She was shocked by the outpouring of support for the idea.
"I posted in the evening, and by the next morning, a ton of people had shown interest in it. And she had raised $296... We've probably packed 45 backpacks. And we've, I think, we've exhausted all of the donations, but people keep asking if we need more. And it's overwhelming, because what I thought was just going to be an extra 10 minutes on a Dollar Tree trip has turned into a week long process. We pack a couple a night," Marian said.
On Sunday, Denver7 Gives took part in "Farrah's Challenge" and went shopping for toys at the Walmart in Castle Rock. Walmart wanted to help too, and donated six backpacks to Farrah's mission, which is the same amount that Farrah initially packed.
The Salvation Army donated 20 backpacks filled with school supplies to "Farrah's Challenge." The Salvation Army is Denver7's annual partner during the Pack A Backpack school supply drive in July.
If you know a family who would benefit from a backpack, email Colette.Bordelon@TheDenverChannel.com.