Sam collects thousands of euros for the ALS Foundation

ZOETERMEER — Within a few months time collecting Thousands of euros ánd becoming Junior Ambassador of the ALS Foundation. A feat managed by 11-year-old Sam Vreugdenhil, student of the Paulusschool. “It’s beyond great that an 11-year-old boy does this.”

When teacher Caroline fell ill it changed Sam’s world. His school started a fund-raising drive for her, but the 11-year-old boy wondered what ALS, the disease Miss Caroline has, was. He asked at home, searched the internet, and discovered the harsh truth. “It’s a disease that can’t yet be cured,” Sam explains. “It’s very difficult for everyone who has it.” The realization of the consequences for Miss Caroline hit him like a brick wall.

“She was someone I saw a lot and suddenly she isn’t here anymore. That’s very sad.”

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But he didn’t let it go by quietly. Sam is a happy boy from Zoetermeer who loves gaming and playing football. Ask him what he wants to be when he’s older and the answer wouldn’t be surprising at all: football-player. But he’s also someone who wants to help others. So he decided that more funds should be given for more research for a cure for the disease, because there is none. His efforts attracted more attention than initially anticipated. He was already in close contact with the ALS Foundation. And this week they came with a surprising offer, Sam tells: “They made me a Junior Ambassador for the whole of the Netherlands.” It makes the Zoetermeer boy the only one. “He’s positively glowing with pride,” his mother Angelique says. And if you ask Sam what touched him most during the fund-raising drive, he’ll answer that it’s the reactions of people. His mother sees this too: “It happens that he’s moved by the sweet things people say. And sometimes he also breaks down a bit from it all.” Or by what people write, Sam adds. “Someone had written ‘charity’ (in the Biblical sense of the word) on a card.” It is as if there’s some kind of magical aura hanging around Sam, people really take out their wallets to help him reach his goal.

N.B. Sam continues unabated with his fundraising campaign for ALS. Read the latest news in the Streekblad of Friday 23 April 2021.