August 31, 2009; Albert Cuyp Market, Amsterdam @ 13.30
Meet Toon Borst who for the past seven years has wheeled his very recognizable foreign currency wagon through the streets of Amsterdam. Toon encourages people to turn in their left over foreign currency from vacations as a way of raising funds for charity.
The money goes in part to 't Brinkie, a children's petting zoo in Amsterdam that serves underprivileged and handicapped urban kids and their families. And a part of the money goes to a similar project in India.
In addition to foreign currency, Toon collects a lot of left-over paper and coin money from European countries that have since switched to the pan-European Euro currency. Through his network of contacts the old money is exchanged at the national banks of the European countries where the money came from.
Since people obviously don't walk around with useless old national currency or foreign currency he has gotten about forty shops around the city to participate in his campaign by being a deposit point for all these coins and paper.
Over the last three years Toon's efforts have raised over € 70,000. Toon makes it impossible to ever say, "But what can I do as one person?"