Above: Couper Gross was ready to work on the weekend as he raised money for less fortunate children.By Cam Scott
NOT many mums would be taking their sixyearold’s requests to call everyone in the country too seriously.
But Michelle Gross of Harkaway was forced to when her persistent son Couper consistently asked her to call all of Australia so they could come to the family home and donate to needy kids.
After initially considering it little more than a phase that indicated her son had a kind heart, the pressure grew on Michelle until she was left with no choice but to do something to help her son’s crusade.
“I thought, ‘This is sweet, but it will pass,’” she said.
But it did not pass. Couper set up an office outside his bedroom and every day his activities increased.
“Every day he did more, he had signs, stamps, a cash register and he kept asking when I was going to call Australia,” Michelle said.
So, instead of wiping out her savings account by phoning everyone in the country, Michelle decided to hold a sausage sizzle at the family home last weekend as a way raising the money.
She invited school friends and family around to help raise money for children without toys.
When the people arrived on trading day, the Beaconhills College Village Campus student was ready and waiting at his purposebuilt office.
Working throughout the day, he managed to collect $102 from the sale of sausages.
Michelle said that after initially being surprised by her son’s idea, she was delighted to see him work so hard to ensure the project got off the ground.
“I was impressed by his determination,” she said.
“We were really rapt with the response on Saturday and Couper was absolutely delighted.
“It went off really well for him so we were really pleased.
“It was just nice to see him stay determined to see the whole thing through.”
Couper will present the money he collected to his school at an upcoming assembly, and it will go towards supporting an East Timorese school.
As for the future of Couper Gross, well, his mother is just going to wait and see what it holds, but not much would surprise her.
“He might end up being a peacekeeper in years to come,” she said.
