As the youngest person ever to be awarded the Order of British Columbia, Frankie (nee Jeneece) Edroff has been known to many on Vancouver Island as “the Penny Girl” for outstanding efforts at fundraising and a spirit of generosity.

Affected with the rare genetic condition Neurofibromatosis since birth, Frankie has undergone many surgeries to straighten and strengthen their spine, and surgery to repair a hole in their heart. Frankie has an enthusiastic and encouraging spirit and thrives on helping others, despite a difficult medical condition.

At age seven, Frankie decided to raise funds to “give back” to the charity that had assisted their family financially with medical expenses. Frankie spearheaded a penny drive for the Variety The Children’s Charity. Over the years, Frankie has raised 1.5 million dollars for children in B.C.

Frankie has also been involved in fundraising for the Easter Seal’s 24-hour Relay, the B.C. Neuro-fibro-ma-tosis Foundation, BC Children’s Radiothon for the Kids, Cops for Cancer and is a Junior rider in the Tour de Rock.

In 2009 Frankie partnered with the Queen Alexandra Foundation and TELUS to realize a dream of building a “home away from home” in Victoria for families travelling to the capital for paediatric medical treatments or appointments.

Frankie was inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame in 2006, and is also the recipient of the B.C. Community Achievement Award, the Victoria Community Youth Leadership Award, the Saanich Youth Award and the Colleen Wood Award for fundraising.