10-year-old Spokane girl raises thousands for families displaced by fires

SPOKANE, Wash. — After witnessing the devastation left by the Spokane fires, 10-year-old Marianna Haugen decided she couldn’t sit on the sidelines. What started as a door-to-door fundraising effort in her neighborhood has blossomed into a community-wide campaign that has raised nearly $5,000 for families impacted by the disaster.

Marianna’s journey began a few weeks ago when she drove through her neighborhood after evacuations were lifted. The sight of burned homes and destroyed property moved her to action.

“I decided to help because just driving down Indian Trail, looking at all the houses that burned down, looking at all the things that this neighborhood…that we lost and stuff, um, it was just really devastating and sad and its just like why not?” Marianna said.

Her initial approach was straightforward: knock on doors and ask neighbors for donations. On her first night alone, she collected $200 — a result that surprised even her.

“Its like a miracle that there’s so much great people in this world and that they like to help too,” Marianna said.

Recognizing the momentum, Marianna and her mother, Anna Haugen, posted about the fundraising effort on social media. The post gained significant traction overnight, drawing donations from across the nation. As of now, Marianna has raised close to $5,000.

“So I’ve actually raised..I’m like super close to like $5000 so I’m really, really grateful for that and yeah I want to help as much families as I can,” Marianna said.

For Anna Haugen, watching her daughter process the fires at such a young age has been difficult. The experience has fundamentally changed how her daughter views her community and childhood.

“To know that her community and her experience in her childhood now has been shifted and changed right? Um, it is hard,” Anna said.

Despite the emotional toll, the Haugens are thinking beyond the immediate aftermath. They recognize that recovery from a disaster of this magnitude takes time — years, not weeks or months.

“The fires happened August 1st, and we’re almost to September now, but this is going to be years down the road that families and our entire community are going to need support and help, and that’s where our heart is, it’s in the long term,” Anna said.

The family plans to begin distributing funds to affected families in the coming weeks. They also intend to continue their fundraising efforts to provide sustained support as the community rebuilds.

Beyond her philanthropic work, Marianna serves as the Associated Student Body president at Woodridge Elementary. She has a message for anyone who might underestimate the impact a young person can have.

“Just because I’m 10 doesn’t mean i can’t change anything because…If you fit in this world, you matter in this world so,” Marianna said.

The Haugens have received donations from across the nation and remain committed to supporting their community through the long recovery process ahead.