SYDNEY, N.S. -- Caleb MacArthur’s young life was tragically cut short six years ago, but he continues to leave a lasting impression in his community.

The superhero loving toddler died from cancer in 2015, a month shy of his fourth birthday.

On Tuesday, the charity that honours Caleb received a pair of much needed donations from the community that will help other families dealing with childhood cancer and other critical illnesses.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, charities across the world have struggled to meet their fundraising goals.

For charities like ‘Caleb’s Courage’, every dollar counts these days.

“It’s been a tough year,” says Nicole MacArthur, Caleb’s mother. “All of our events have been cancelled and funds are down overall for all charitable organizations.”

With the flip of a cheque on Tuesday, the ‘Caleb’s Courage’ movement received a truckload of much-needed support.

For the month of December and half of November, $500 from every Dodge Ram truck sold at Sydney’s Colbourne Chrysler was donated to Caleb’s Courage.

“I think our sales staff all had the number 10,000 in mind,” says Brad Jacobs, General Manager at Colbourne Chrysler.

Twenty trucks and $10,000 later, staff at the dealership have an accomplishment to be proud of during a pandemic.

“This year’s been incredibly hard for a lot of charities to raise money, so I think for us here at our dealership, we looked at it in as an opportunity to take something we do everyday, and use that to give back and have an impact on families here in Cape Breton,” says Jacobs.

“We appreciate every dollar we get, always, but especially during these times,” says MacArthur.

MacArthur says despite incredible community support for the initiative in her son’s memory over the years, donations to Caleb’s Courage has been down considerably during COVID-19.

She says she understands people simply aren’t in the same position to give due to the pandemic, but the need is still there for families with sick children.

“It’s certainly an extremely scary experience,” says MacArthur. “But going through something like this during COVID adds a whole new level of fear.”

It was the second big donation in a week for Caleb’s Courage.

On Tuesday, the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation presented a cheque for $50,000 raised by the Foundation’s annual Calendar Campaign.

Another boost to the family’s spirits, as they hope to return to hosting in-person fundraising events – including ‘Caleb’s Courage Walk, Run, Fly’, an annual event that encourages people to dress up like their favourite superhero while raising money for the foundation.

“We’re realistic, but optimistic, that come June, we can gather as a community and see hundreds of people come together, superhero style,” says MacArthur.

A little boy whose legacy continues to bring people together, even when they are forced apart.