Presents are synonymous with birthdays, particularly for children.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But when Horsham's Jaykob McCallum turned 10 on September 14, he decided to forgo presents and ask people to donate to Wimmera Legacy instead.
Jaykob presented $570 to Wimmera Legacy president Bill McGrath last week.
The donation included money given to Jaykob for his birthday and donations from Horsham businesses including Horsham Lanes and Games, McDonald's and the Bleakley Street Handyshop.
Jaykob said he wanted to donate the money to help people.
He said he learned about the group from his mother Vanita Dinsdale.
"It was just to be nice," he said.
"It will help out people who have lost someone in the war."
Ms Dinsdale said the idea was all her son's.
"It didn't realise how much money was there. It's quite amazing," she said.
Kmart Horsham store manager Tony Sleep heard about Jaykob's intention to donate to Wimmera Legacy through a story in the Mail-Times and wanted to get involved.
The store's Raegen Donald presented Jaykob with a football and a book yesterday and also made a $40 donation to Wimmera Legacy.
"We thought it was such a great and responsible thing for Jaykob to do," Mr Sleep said.
"We were really touched by his generosity and we didn't want to see him go without a present for his 10th birthday."
Mr McGrath said he was extremely grateful and was blown away when he found out how much Jaykob donated.
"At the start when I heard about it I thought, 'Is this for real?'" he said.
"I couldn't believe a 10-year-old would think outside the square like that.
"We are very proud that Legacy has such a good name and that he has thought to donate to us through such a novel approach."