10-year-old Ontario boy raises money for SickKids with hot chocolate stand
10-year-old Ontario boy raises money for SickKids with hot chocolate stand
Cohen Lane and his cocoa stand are seen in this undated photograph provided by family.
A 10-year-old boy from Ontario is spending his winter weekends brewing batches of hot chocolate for a good cause.
For years Cohen Lane has wanted to do a fundraiser for Toronto’s Hospital For Sick Children—but he wasn’t sure what to do. That is until, while shopping for Christmas decorations, the family came across the makings for a lawn stand.
“He was like, ‘Oh, can you do a cocoa stand for me so I can raise money?’” his mother, Karina Oliveira, told CTV News Toronto. “And then we just started kind of building it up.”
Cohen then went to work, designing both the stand—complete with a topping bar and alternative tea options—as well as a QR code so those without cash can still make donations. They even have a water heater as well as a seating area where people can enjoy their beverage of choice.
“It’s been very busy, but it's been really fun,” the 10 year old said. “Everyone said that it was really good chocolate.”
Cohen Lane's hot chocolate stand is seen here. (supplied)
The family has a strong connection to SickKids Hospital. Oliveira said her nephew—Cohen’s cousin—was taken there when he was just three months old, after experiencing a Tracheal collapse.
“Within I’d say two days, you can see he totally turned around,” she said. “We’ve had other family members who've had to go to SickKids, like actually recently last month, my young cousin, he also had to go in.”
“Cohen's just really always loved SickKids … it’s just such a great hospital.”
Cohen added that he hopes to help raise money so that the hospital has more funds to support their patients, especially during a time of year where they are operating at overcapacity. Earlier this month, SickKids had to put some surgical procedures on hold to preserve critical care capacity.
“The other reason why I did the SickKids this Christmas is because there's a lot of things going on at SickKids,” the boy said. “It's really full.”
Cohen started with a goal of raising $350 for the hospital, but after the first weekend the family had collected about $1,200 in donations—selling about 100 cups of hot chocolate on a pay-what-you-can scale and accepting even more in electronic transfers.
They plan to be on their front lawn in Whitby, Ont. every Saturday and Sunday between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. until Dec. 31 to continue to raise money. The family is even expanding their operations, having spent some time this week at Bulk Barn hand picking a bunch of new hot chocolate toppings, as well as holiday-themed teas for those who may not have much of a sweet tooth.
“My most favorite thing since I'm English, that’s one of my backgrounds, is tea but I love hot chocolate. I love me some hot chocolate,” Cohen said.
“It's just a festive thing on holidays everyone likes.”
Cohen has multiple different types of hot chocolate at his cocoa bar, including S’mores, Rollo and Turtles. A company called “Deadly Grounds” also donated a dozen two-pound bags of original hot chocolate to the family for their fundraiser.
“That's a lot of hot chocolate,” he said.
Cohen has done a lot of advertising at his school and on social media—and hopes that people continue to come out to the cocoa bar. The family has set up a donation page through SickKids Hospital so that people know where their money is going. On the page, it says the money will be used to build a new state-of-the-art hospital, continue the hospital’s research and build partnerships around the world.
Cohen credits his early fundraising success to his neighbours and friends who are helping get the word out. He has since raised his goal to $5,000—although he jokingly hopes to make $10,000.
“We are also going to do this every year,” Cohen added.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
A team of preteen Ukrainian refugees that have been scattered across Europe by war arrived Wednesday in Quebec City, where they'll get the chance to compete in a renowned hockey tournament.
Nearly a year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, community organizers say there is still work to be done to help the thousands of Ukrainian refugees looking to start a new life in Canada while coping with the hardships they've faced coming here.
After a tiny radioactive capsule went missing in the Australian outback, an expert in Canada says the likelihood of the same happening in this country is unlikely, given our strong regulations governing the handling of radioactive materials.
As Black History Month gets underway, Canada Post has unveiled a new stamp honouring Chloe Cooley, a young Black woman who was known to challenge her enslavement in the late 18th century.
Canada's new special representative on combating Islamophobia has apologized for words that hurt Quebecers after leaders in that province called for her resignation.
Montreal police say two men are in hospital Wednesday night with stab wounds after an altercation in a home in the city's Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
Gillian Burnett was almost finished her work day on Jan. 24 when she received a terrifying call about her young son. Waylon, 20-months-old, was found submerged in an outdoor pool at a home daycare near Petrolia, Ont.
A hearing is underway to determine if Udo Haan is not criminally responsible for the death of his wife Edra Haan, who was found in the aftermath of the 2018 house explosion in Kitchener, Ont.
Chief Mark Crowell made a presentation at a council meeting Wednesday justifying the proposed $214 million budget for the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS).
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
While crews have resumed operations in an attempt to open the Rideau Canal Skateway for its 53rd season, an NCC spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa the canal will not open in time for the first weekend of Winterlude on Friday.
Following a suicide bomb blast that killed more than 100 people in a mosque in Pakistan’s northern city of Peshawar, community leaders in Windsor-Essex are reminding people these attacks are rare and should not be simply dismissed as a byproduct of living in that part of the world.
As the City of Barrie prepares for extreme cold to move through the area later this week, local shelters are working on expanding space for those in need.
A new 911 dispatch system in New Brunswick means that now fire departments aren’t getting dispatched to all medical calls leaving residents waiting and first responders in the dark.
More than four months after Hurricane Fiona hit Atlantic Canada, people are still dealing with damaged homes as they wait for help from insurance companies and provincial aid programs.
Calgary police are looking for suspects involved in an altercation that lasted for approximately an hour, spanned several communities and ended with a gun being fired.
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
B.C.'s Ministry of Health is continuing its multi-year trend of paying millions more dollars each year to private surgical centres for the delivery of public health care, CTV News has learned.
Changes to the amount of time the public gets to voice their opinion during Surrey City Council meetings has caused controversy among former councillors.
Alberta's former chief medical officer of health has landed a new role in British Columbia. Dr. Deena Hinshaw was named a deputy provincial health officer for B.C. on Wednesday.
Cohen Lane and his cocoa stand are seen in this undated photograph provided by family.
Cohen Lane's hot chocolate stand is seen here. (supplied) 
