Joel Ranieri and his sister Isabella.
FOR eight-year-old Joel Ranieri, every day is Daffodil Day.
The Ballan schoolboy has spent much of his spare time since the official fundraiser last month continuing to raise money for cancer research.
Joel’s grandmother May-Anne Ranieri said he realised immediately how important the event was.
“He has lost his other grandmother and I’ve had cancer, so as soon as he found out what Daffodil Day was all about and what daffodils represent, he told us he wanted to sell them and donate the money,” she said.
“It’s being done through his school’s fundraiser and he’s already raised $120.”
Ms Ranieri said Joel, with help from his sister Isabella, picked wild daffodils at her nearby farm and began selling them from a stall erected outside his house.
She said the response had been phenomenal.
“People will stop and ask what he’s selling them for,” she said.
“When they find out, they’ll often drop a little bit more money in and tell him it’s for a lolly - but he donates that too.”
Ms Ranieri said the family wasn’t surprised to see such a selfless act.
“He’s always been one of those kids who thinks about everyone else before himself,” she said.
For more information on Daffodil Day, call 1300 65 65 85.
