It's coming in pennies (and sometimes toonies) at a time - but the efforts of local children are adding up to help those affected by the tsunami in South Asia.
Howe Sound Secondary School raised around $1,500 in a toonies for Thailand drive and many students and staff took part in the Waves of Compassion fundraiser. One teacher prepared a power point presentation explaining what a tsunami is and students videotaped a round table discussion between the Global Awareness/ Interact Club and several Thai students about how Dec. 26 impacted them. Students from Howe Sound performed at the fundraiser including Jennifer Galloway, Tak Lee and Chanisa Adhikomprapa.
On Feb. 3 the school hosted an Asia earthquake and tsunami relief dance to raise money for the Canadian Red Cross.
Don Ross Secondary tackled a money drive with a bit of a twist. Two students were wrapped in packing tape sticky side out. They visited classrooms and the other students threw the money on the floor. Rollin' Ryan (Ryan Devlin) and Sticky Sam (Samantha Soo) rolled on the floor to pick it up. The school raised around $650 and it was donated to the Waves of Compassion Fundraiser.
The students are preparing for and writing exams right now, but there is a dance on Feb. 17 and the Interact club is considering having a fundraising dinner as well.
At Garibaldi Highlands Elementary the students are tying their school goal of literacy into a fundraising event.
"We're doing a program called reading for relief," said Highlands principal Brent Speidel. "Kids are doing home reading."
Students are collecting pledges and reading at home to accumulate relief funds.
The school has a goal of 3,000 reading hours or $3,000, but preferably both, by Feb. 14, Speidel said.
樱桃视频Elementary students raised $300 with a bottle drive in January, with all the proceeds going towards UNICEF.
"The kids really feel compelled to do something. There were a number of discussions in the classrooms. I still think they think about it a lot," said principal Nick Pascuzzi said. "I think it's certainly been really good for the kids for them to feel like they're part of the relief effort."
Valleycliffe Elementary is going to try a variety of ways of raising money. The Grade 7 leadership class and two representatives from every class have formed a committee to create ideas. The committee is looking at penny drive Mondays, nickel drive Tuesdays, dime drive Wednesdays and collecting donations to participate in events like a Survivor-type game, said principal John Flack.Stawamus Elementary school is tying its Project Love fundraiser in with tsunami relief. Every year the school raises money for the project, which provides school supplies to children in Africa. On Jan. 27 they had a toy and bake sale for Project Love, but some of the money raised will be donated to tsunami relief as well.
"Little children take it to heart and become very sad," said Seb Amenta. "We have to dwell on how we can help them."
At Brackendale Elementary, students came forward in a variety of ways and raised $965 as of Feb. 2. They have held a hot chocolate sale, raising $315. Eagle Run Coffee Co. donated all the milk and chocolate for the sale. Classes have donated money from recycling ($200) and donations for class plays and chores done at home have raised $130. A teacher knitted scarves, and those were sold to raise $320 for the 樱桃视频Humanity Village Project.
"A lot of times the initiative has come from the kids," said Marian Kelly, a school librarian and a member of the Humanity Village committee.
Mamquam Elementary recently held a week-long coin drive - pennies on Monday, nickels on Tuesday, dimes on Wednesday, quarters on Thursday and twoonies and loonies on Friday. The school choir also participated in the Waves of Compassion fundraiser on Jan. 15, and partial proceeds from the Valentines Day dance will go towards relief.
Even local daycare centres are getting involved, including Happy Times Children's Centre and Howe Sound Daycare, which raised $515 for tsunami relief by having approximately 38 children collect pledges and complete an obstacle course. Kid Kapers had a benefit concert called Kid Kaper Idol. The preschool-age children lip synced a concert of popular tunes and collected donations to raise money for tsunami relief. Next Saturday (Feb. 12) there is an event for kids of all ages at the Brennan Park Recreation Centre auditorium. A local child, Nicky, is turning six, and invites everyone to his celebration with a magic show by Vancouver magician Ray Wong. Admission is by donation to 樱桃视频Humanity Village.
