SUDBURY -- Every year, the month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and for many, it means collecting cash donations and participating in walks or runs. 

But for one young boy in Sudbury, it means collecting can tabs in honour of his grandmother.

Pop tabs are being collected to buy equipment

Since Cameron Paquette was six-years-old, he has been making donations to raise awareness for breast cancer.

"I’m spoiled, I guess kind of, so I didn’t want any more toys for birthdays," said Paquette. "So I started asking for money, then I donated it to raise money for breast cancer."

Since 2016, Paquette has been collecting pop can tabs and donating the money to Angels In Pink, an organization in Sudbury that purchases special probe equipment for breast cancer treatment.

"Every time a patient uses these probes, 100 per it’s because Angels In Pink made that purchase,” said Northern Cancer Foundation Executive Director Tannys Laughren. "Those probes lead to better detection, better screening, better care, better treatment options."

This latest donation to Angels In Pink was close to 40,000 can tabs.

Students at Valley View Public School got behind Cameron and helped him gather can tabs to be donated.

A student in Grade 2, Janelle Chartand, donated a 5-gallon bin of tabs and helped make a big difference in the fundraising.

"We’re just hoping that we can find a cure for cancer and help out whoever needs it. Who knows, maybe one day we will need it, so that’s why we help every time," said her father, Richard.

Paquette stood by his grandmother’s side throughout both of her cancer battles. Now, healthy and cancer-free today, Jeanne Paquette said she is very proud of her grandson.

"He’s trying to motivate young people to do something worthwhile. Our youth are our future and so I am very proud of Cameron," said Jeanne.

Jeanne volunteered at Valley View Public throughout her cancer treatments and said it is heartwarming to see students she has helped give back to a cause that means so much to her.

"To see such young people willing to help others, makes me really proud," said Jeanne.

As for Cameron, he said he likes doing this important work and making a difference and that he’s not done yet. He said he plans to continue collecting can tabs to keep raising money for breast cancer treatment.

"I’m trying to make other people collect can tabs and see how much it actually helps. Just keep on going and collecting more money and eventually we can beat this," said Cameron.