PARADISE VALLEY, AZ — One good deed is snowballing into another after a nine-year-old boy set up a drink stand in Paradise Valley to raise money for a local dog rescue.
Eli Feinstein is a little boy with a big love for animals. So when he set up the stand in his neighborhood to fundraise for Almost There Rescue, he never expected to get a famous customer: Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns’ shooting guard.
As a huge fan, Feinstein recognized Booker right away. Not only did he get to meet his hero, but Booker left the kids a big donation.
“He bought orange Gatorade and banana chips, and he left me $200. First, I was like, shock, shock, shock,” Feinstein explained. “It means a lot. My goal was $200. But I reached double that.”
The act inspired Feinstein to try to raise $1,000 for Almost There Rescue, which provides specialized care to mother dogs and their new puppies.
Staff say since the video of Booker at Eli’s stand went viral, more donations have been coming in.
“The whole story was just so organic, and it actually, you know, I could cry,” Sylvia Padilla, Almost There Rescue Community Ambassador, said. “We're a nonprofit, so anything that we could do for these moms and pups, and any word that we can get out there has been spectacular.”
On Saturday, another special guest will visit Eli’s stand: a puppy from Almost There. The rescue hopes to show him the direct impact of his efforts.
Anyone who wants to contribute to Eli’s fundraiser can reach out to Almost There Rescue directly to make a donation.
