Alfonso happier to give than get
When other kids are excitedly tearing open presents on Christmas morning, Alfonso Atkinson will go without.
But the nine-year-old sports fanatic doesn't mind.
He knows that means a donation will go to a worthy cause - a little boy's sacrifice to honour the memory of cricketer Phillip Hughes.
Alfonso saw the bouncer hit Hughes on TV and when he died, Alfonso's mum Marina knew it upset him.
The Year 3 student was quick to put his bat outside their Quinns Rocks home in a tribute to Hughes and when he expressed his sadness more than a week later, Mrs Atkinson suggested he think about what more he could do.
She pointed out that even as a young boy, he had something within his power: the $200 his parents planned to spend on him for Christmas.
Alfonso jumped at it.
The pair researched the most appropriate cause and decided on the McGrath Foundation, the breast cancer charity of former fast bowler Glenn McGrath and linked to Cricket Australia.
They lodged the donation online with this heartfelt message: "My 9-year-old son is donating all his Xmas money for his pressies.
"He will not have one pressie to open Xmas morning and is donating this money in loving memory of Phil Hughes and Cricket Australia. He has made this decision today on his 9th Bday. I am such a proud mum :-)".
Alfonso, known for his athletic talent and sportsmanship at Mindarie Primary School, has no regrets as Christmas Day looms.
He will be away on the family's annual caravan trip to Busselton with his parents and sister Trixie.
"My friends are like, 'Why are you doing that'," he said.
"But I knew I wanted to do it straight away. I don't really need presents because we go camping at Christmas and that's a really big present."
