Peterborough author Erica Richmond, the founder of Open Sky Stories, has raised $670 for Peterborough Youth Services.
In May, Richmond announced she would donate half of the proceeds ($10) of each sale of her children’s book Pixie and the Bees during the month of May to the organization, which provides accessible services that engage youth in a respectful, professional, and therapeutic relationship to foster emotional and social health.
“This agency has been life-saving for both of my kids and I want to give back to them and in turn, help other families who rely on them for support,” Richmond says. The month of May marked the anniversary of the death of the father of Richmond’s children to suicide.
This is the second year in a row where Richmond has donated half of her book proceeds to a local charity. Last May, she raised $530 for the Trans Peer Outreach program at the Canadian Mental Health Association, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (Richmond’s youngest child is transgender).
Richmond says her goal was to match last year’s donation, but she ended up exceeding it by $140 due to the community response to her fundraiser.
“I knew it would be tough but thanks to local media and businesses we kept getting the word out and our community listened,” she says. “I’m happy, relieved, grateful, exhausted and just so incredibly honoured to live in a community that cares so much.”
Published in November 2020, Pixie and the Bees tells the story of a happy Pixie who has an encounter while picking wildflowers that leaves her with constant pain and discomfort that nobody else understands at first. The book is illustrated by Peterborough artist Brooklin Holborough.
For more information about Pixie and the Bees, visit openskystories.com/product/pixie-and-the-bees/.
For more information about Peterborough Youth Services, their programs, or how to access support, visit www.pysonline.ca or call 705-743-1681.
