Keeping kids entertained while isolating can require some creativity. For Andrea and Colin Baillargeon, the solution was to grab their kids, pick up some chalk and head out to the sidewalk to start drawing cartoons together.
When their house became a destination for walkers, they decided to offer their sidewalk “doodles,” as Andrea calls them, to others in exchange for a $10 donation to the Calgary Food Bank. And so, Cartoons for a Cause was born.
“Once we noticed all the interest and traffic we were getting, we hung the sign up in our window and told people we would come draw for them,” Andrea says.
Their efforts were shared through social media, and then shared again, and even shared by Mayor Nenshi. The Baillargeon’s soon surpassed their modest goal of raising around $200 for the food bank – which they were planning to match – and have now raised roughly $7,000.
Colin has set up cartoonsforacauseyyc@gmail.com to respond to the hundreds of requests coming in, and the pair have joined forces with two more artists who have volunteered to help with the drawings around the city.
“It’s pretty funny actually, everyone keeps asking if we have any artistic background and we don’t at all. I have doodled and drawn throughout my life but we are mostly just doing our best,” says Andrea.
The Baillargeon’s intend to wrap up Cartoons for a Cause after the May long weekend. The pair are looking forward to seeing the final amount they have raised and presenting it to the food bank.
