By Don Urquhart, Times-Chronicle
Seven-year-old Ayden McKillop shyly nods his head when asked if it’s exciting to have everybody focusing on him and his artwork, which is now a hot selling t-shirt in support of firefighters battling wildfires.
Perhaps a little too exciting for a 7-year-old as Ayden is clearly very shy of all the attention now being heaped on him, or as one person queuing up to place a t-shirt order at Junction 3 on Saturday observed, he’s just being ‘humble’.
Members of Osoyoos Fire Rescue paid a surprise visit to Ayden and his family at Junction 3 today. Photo courtesy of Andrew McKillop.
With his widespread notoriety ‘humble’ is certainly an option, but what is clear is the fact that Ayden’s artwork and this tender sentiment from someone so young is a beautiful thing in these trying times.
Highlighting the support from the community, Ayden’s father Andrew says that as of Saturday mid-morning they have sold over 150 t-shirts. All proceeds from the sales after the cost of the t-shirts and printing will go to the Osoyoos Fire Rescue who works with a variety of charities.
The idea is to “support them and thank them for the hard work that they did through the wildfires,” Andrew says.
The local fire department is close to Ayden’s heart after a small house fire about five months ago elevated the firefighters to ‘superhero’ status for Ayden. The ‘deal sealer’ was a gift for Ayden on that scary day of a teddy bear, which he clutches as I talk to him and his dad on Saturday morning. “He’s always going to have a close relationship with them,” Andrew says.
Ayden along with his dad and mom, Amita, were hosted by Junction 3 on a cool Saturday morning for what is likely the final ‘road show’ setup. Andrew says current orders will be filled in about two weeks but that they will continue taking orders online through social media.
The backstory for all this was the beginning of the Nk’Mip fire which started just one day before Ayden’s July 20 birthday. Working for the Town of Osoyoos, Andrew was called back to work, effectively scuttling birthday plans. Because of the situation unfolding locally, the decision was made to send Ayden back to the Lower Mainland with his grandmother.
With Andrew sending him photos of the fire, Ayden decided he wanted to make his own paintings of the fire photos. With his grandfather contributing a drawing of the helicopter Ayden took over the rest of the art project and the rest, as they say, is history.
