Four middle school students from Carmangay School presented a $400 donation to the pediatrics unit of Chinook Regional Hospital Thursday morning.
Vice-Principal Fred Jack said the two Grade 7 and two Grade 8 students approached him about two months ago, expressing a desire to show support to the hospital. The students not only initiated the venture and identified a recipient, they were lead hands in organizing the event — a pancake breakfast served to about 200 students, parents and staff at Carmangay’s feeder school in Barons Tuesday morning.
“It exceeded my expectations,” Jack said. “The support for the event was outstanding with 90-plus per cent of our student body participating. That participation alone really blew me away.”
Both Carmangay and Barons are alternative programs serving students from the Low German-speaking Mennonite community. Carmangay has about 40 students attending junior high or the outreach high school. Barons has more than 160 students in early learning and kindergarten through Grade 6.
Jack said the girls contributed their own money to help purchase supplies and demonstrated true leadership skills and self-confidence in speaking to their fellow students on the day of the event.
He said he’s been challenging students at Carmangay “to come up with ways to do more and to be more powerful contributors in our communities. . . They took that to heart.”
The fundraiser not only benefited the hospital. Jack said it was hugely beneficial to the students who demonstrated care, compassion for others, “and a sense of giving back and the fulfilment and gratitude that provides.”
“It made me feel a great sense of pride,” Jack said.