Two senior students from Hillcrest elementary school appeared in the front office of the Estevan Humane Society's shelter last Tuesday with a cheque in the amount of $565.65 representing the fruits of their bottle and can collection efforts over the past four months.
Coral Zieglgansberger and Tyra Kuntz were concluding their individual action plan within the Me to We program that the school has embraced, and they are now concentrating their efforts, along with other students in the school, on a global project.
Teacher Cat Billesberger said the program started in the school with just the senior students getting involved and it has now branched out to include the Grade 6 to 8 classes.
Students earn their way to a giant annual We Day rally in Saskatoon that features keynote motivational messages from athletic, social and entertainment celebrities.
"The testimonial talks got through to us," said Coral, commenting on the most recent rally that saw 25 Hillcrest students being registered for the grand event.
Earning their way to the rally means the students must get involved in fundraising activities for others or fundraising for the trip by performing civic services and providing volunteer talents.
Coral and Tyra, after doing the fundraising for the Humane Society, will now join the other students in a drive toward raising $10,000 to build a basic school house facility in India in the Me to We Brick by Brick program. Each time they raise $20 they get a brick that will be used to build the school.
The idea to join the Brick by Brick program came about through a collaborative effort that included Hillcrest's Junior Quota Club members who suggested the partnership.
Billesberger said the school's We team has purchased a button-making machine that allows them to make promotional buttons, which they sell to community groups. So far they have raised $3,000 through button sales with orders coming from a variety of service clubs and businesses with the Happy Nun restaurant in Forget being a dedicated promoter of the project as well as an avid sales agent.
"Wedding favours, promotion buttons, campaign buttons, our team can do that with the profits going to the school project," said Billesberger.
The students hope to reach their goal before the end of the school year, but if they don't, they'll have a decision to make, said Billesberger. They can partner with another school doing a similar campaign and combine the funds to complete a school-building program or they can keep it within the Hillcrest School community and carry the campaign over into a new school year for next year's Grades 6 to 8 classes to complete.
Students who graduate to the Estevan Comprehensive School will be able to stay involved in the project.
"They started last year with this We program and some strong leadership skills were discovered. It's fun to watch them develop in that way," said Billesberger who accompanied the two girls as they handed the cheque over to Humane Society employee Britini Walilko, who assured them the funds will be used carefully to provide comfort and care for the animals in their temporary care.
Walilko added that the cat and kitten population at the shelter has dropped slightly over the past three weeks, noting that when the numbers reached over 40 they were having to restrict their intake due to safety and health concerns. The dog and puppy population had also declined significantly although they had just taken in a couple of abandoned puppies while a six-kitten litter born shortly after their mother arrived in the shelter three weeks ago, are growing strong and healthy and will probably be eligible for adoption around the eight-week mark.
