B.C. girl donating turkeys to local families in need [Video]

Saanich, B.C. –

When Maria-Clara Patrick first watched that video of Arnold Schwarzenegger, she assumed they had nothing in common.

“He’s 77 (years old),” Maria-Clara says. “While I’m 11.”

He’s a famous movie star and former governor, she says. “While I just go to middle school.”

And then there are Arnold’s vices.

“He drinks beers and smokes cigars,” Maria-Clara says, before laughing. “I just drink chocolate milk.”

But then, Maria-Clara noticed what Arnold was doing in that video — handing out 1,000 turkeys to people in need.

“I was inspired,” Maria-Clara smiles.

She was motivated to help families in her neighbourhood say “hasta la vista” to hunger over the holidays and contacted the Shelbourne Community Kitchen.

“We work to connect good people with good food,” says the charity’s executive director Kim Cummins.

Kim says that Maria-Clara is striving to donate 77 turkeys for the kitchen’s clients’ Christmas dinners, the same number as Arnold’s age.

“Like the Grinch, my heart grew three sizes,” Kim recalls with a smile. …