Calgary girl encourages birthday guests to give to charity to help big sister

Tallyn Spring and her sister on Feb. 11, 2024. (CTV News Calgary)

Tallyn Spring hosted her eighth birthday party Sunday afternoon. She didn’t get presents – she didn’t want them.

She asked everyone who attended her skating party at the Cardel Rec Center on Shawville Blvd S.E. to donate to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Neurosurgery unit.

Tallyn’s quest to raise money for the Alberta Children’s Hospital started when her older sister was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

On her third birthday, Tallyn emptied her piggy bank and gave it to the hospital and every year after that she’s asked anyone coming to her birthday just skip the presents and make the donation.

"So I can raise money for my sister's surgeon to do more research because she has epilepsy and cerebral palsy," Tallyn told CTV News Calgary. "My friend's brother's a Hitmen player and so I asked him if he could ask his mom if he can come and they said yes."

Tallyn had 150 guests, each donating between $20 and $150, and this year she did get that help from some Calgary Hitmen players

"This is all her this is her idea. And she tells me what it is she wants every year and I say okay then let's do this," Tallyn's mother Amy said. "She skips a day of school and she has to get ready and she challenges a bunch of different companies to match her."

This year Taylln approached three Calgary companies, convincing them to donate matching funds for any donations up to $1,000.

Through her birthday parties she's raised $20,000 for neurosurgical research.