We Day is an empowering event put on by Free the Children to motivate students to support local and global initiatives. In order to attend the event, students have to earn their way by raising money through fundraising initiatives.
During this school year that’s now coming to an end, the Humboldt Public School, St. Dominic School, and St. Augustine all did their part to earn their way to We Day. Collectively, they raised almost $9,000, not including the efforts they put into their local initiatives.
“We Day is a reward for their commitment to create local and global change,” said Robyn Moore, a HPS Student Leadership Council (SLC) staff member.
“(The goal of We Day) is to empower youth to make those changes,” said Jackie Bay, another SLC staff member. “It’s for people that age to be inspired and given the tools to make change.”
At HPS, students can apply for one of the 12 SLC positions at the beginning of the school year. Those that make it onto the team are expected to continue making fundraising efforts with their peers.
Other students can earn a ticket to We Day by going over and above expectations to support fundraising initiatives. For example, HPS students hosted a lemonade stand during the 2014 summer on their own time to raise money. Because of initiatives and volunteerism like this, 25 students from HPS were able to go to the We Day, including the 12 SLC members.
Aside from individual efforts, the SLC held a silver collection at the Christmas concert, put on a school dance, and they sold candy cane hearts on Valentine’s Day. In total, they managed to raise $613, which will be used to purchase 13 goats to send overseas. They’ve given Free the Children permission to choose which country to send the goats to.
Aside from their global initiative, they also had to commit to a local project. This year, they helped bring an anti-bullying presentation to the kindergarten to Grade 4 classes and helped purchase volleyball jerseys for the school.
“They want to be here. They want to be a part of this,” said Moore. “It was very successful. The students were very dedicated, passionate, and understanding. It’s important that we help people locally and around the world.”
The We Day event itself features inspiring speeches and performances by a variety of singers, actors, motivational speakers, etc. This year’s theme is the Year of Empowerment. Of course, the performances and speeches by the celebrities are a favourite of many of the children.
“I’m excited to see who is going to be speaking and singing because there a lot of different actors and singers speaking instead of the same old teachers,” said 13-year-old Karyn Kaip, a SLC member who attended last year’s We Day.
“It was really cool because we got to see lots of different speakers and we got to learn about their experiences and empowerment,” said 12-year-old Jordan Nienaber, another SLC member. “It really pumps you up to help people.”
“I’m excited just getting to see more artists and speakers and the concert where you get to see different people,” said 13-year-old Acacia Hergott.
St. Dominic’s Grade 7 class was just as productive this year, having raised $2,500, which was enough to purchase 50 goats for overseas. For their global commitment, they sold Christmas cards, which were made by the Grade 5 class and rafiki chains, which are made by “mamas” in Kenya, distributed by
Free the Children, and sold for $10. Instead of a piggy bank, the students also made a “goat” bank, which everyone supported by contributing their spare change.
“We set the highest goal ever this year and we reached it,” said Lauren Martinka, St. Dominic’s Grade 7 teacher. “The kids were very positive, always excited, and always wanted to do more. It was just a matter of finding the time, but they never had any negativity.”
For their local initiative, the class continued their partnership with the Humboldt District Food Bank. Two students were sent every week to help out at the food bank and the class also held a We Scare Hunger food campaign where students collected food instead of candy at Halloween.
“We always have a food drive in October around Thanksgiving,” said Martinka. “Because we do so much with the food bank, we just lump it all together (for our local initiative).”
Thanks to the Me to We initiative, Martinka said she believes it’s changed her class for the better.
“It’s hard to pinpoint how it’s changed them, but with things happening off and on throughout the year, you really start to see an increase in empathy,” she said. “Especially being at the food bank, it opens their eyes and helps them understand that they can help other people even though they’re ‘just kids.’”
Last but not least, St. Augustine’s Grade 7 class raised more than $5,700. Their initiatives included selling pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, which raised $535. Since Discovery Ford matched that, their total rose to $1,035, which was enough to buy 20 goats.
On Dec. 9, the held a We Bake for Change at the Broncos game, raising $636 for another 12 goats. Following that, they sold Rafiki bracelets and held a We Are Silent campaign on April 16, which collectively brought in another $3,410.
“One girl decided to take it on herself to continue the We Bake for Change and had another four bake sales at school, which raised $625,” said Melissa Stockbrugger-Knaus, their Grade 7 teacher. “What’s neat is that since she’s done that, she has inspired other kids to have sales to raise money for a charity or a cause.”
For the local side of their Me to We initiative, the St. Augustine students collected 2,004 pounds of food during their We Scare Hunger campaign and also participated in the Bowl for Kids’ Sake, which resulted in $400 in donations for the local organization. As if all that weren’t exhausting enough, the kids also managed to host a cake bingo on Dec. 19 and a hot lunch in January, which raised a total of $600.
Stockbrugger-Knaus said all of that wouldn’t have been possible were it not for the support of the community and parents. The parents helped with baking, organizing bake sales, and by providing financial support. In terms of the students, she said it has helped them to become more giving.
“(The Me to We initiative) has helped make global citizens of my students who are aware of the lives and needs of people around the world and realize they can make a difference through their actions and their concern,” said Stockbrugger-Knaus. “It makes us look beyond ourselves to the world and we become less selfish and more focused on other people. I want them to continue to be concerned about people throughout the world and to try to make a difference in whatever they do.”
