The students at Martensville High School know what this season is truly about; giving back. The Leadership 10 class is a true example of this. After receiving an assignment to create a series of fundraisers for a common cause, the class chose to raise money for Place of Rescue in Cambodia, an AIDS centre and orphanage, founded by Marie Ens. “Marie will be speaking to the class on December 13th and they would like to surprise her with a donation. Their goal is to raise $650 and they are already well on their way to reaching their goal,” MHS teacher Shawna MacKenzie explained. This particular cause was chosen after MacKenzie spoke to the class about her personal experience visiting the orphanage, and the friendship that she forged with Ens. All funds raised will go towards purchasing Christmas presents for the orphans at Place of Rescue.
Currently, there are four groups of five students working on various fundraisers within the class, with each group responsible for planning an event to raise money. “They were required to propose a plan for the promotion of the event and they will give a presentation to the class after the event on what went well and what they would improve on for next time,” MacKenzie added.
The various fundraisers include one group that is auctioning off baskets filled with items donated by local businesses. “At first they were hoping to buy the prizes for one of two baskets; however, while they were planning, they decided to ask local businesses if they would be willing to donate items to include in the baskets. They were so excited when the donations began to come in thanks to the generous support of the community,” said MacKenzie. The class would like to thank the following businesses for their contributions; Your Dollar Store with More, Great Canadian Oil Change, Curves, SAS, RP Drywall, Alpine Interior Systems, Checkered Flag, RFS Engineering and Nourish Food Store. Baskets were available to bid on during Parent/Teacher interviews, and will open for bids once again on December 4th. The public is welcome to stop by the school during noon hour throughout the week to place bids. They can also contact the school to place bids on the baskets, with the winners being announced Friday, December 8th.
Other fundraisers include a “Onsie Day” event on December 6th, with a ‘Hot Chocolate and Cookie Sale’. Students who wear a onsie that day will get free access to the topping bar. Additionally, a holiday themed bake sale will take place December 8th during lunch hour.
The Martensville High School SRC will also be hosting their annual Food Drive, in which the student body is asked to sign up to canvas the city asking for non-perishable food donations. The donations are then brought to the Martensville Fire Hall to be included in the annual Christmas Hamper Program, held by the MFD. “This is such a great way for students to give back to the community,” MacKenzie stated.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Leadership 30 class at MHS is collecting items for The Lighthouse in Saskatoon, challenging each “pod” of the school to collect the most points for items needed. The winning “pod” will win a prize. “We want to bring recognition to an organization that often goes unnoticed by the public,” Leadership 30 and SRC Member Brooklyn MacKenzie explained. Items being collected include: new underwear (men’s and women’s M-XXL), new socks, hygiene products (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shavers, shaving cream, feminine hygiene products, etc.) and warm winter clothing. “It’s a forgotten cause and we want to bring some light,” said Payton Duperreault, Leadership 30 student and SRC Member.
NOTE ON FEATURED IMAGE:
Students from the Leadership 10 class with their finished baskets. From left to right Taya Ward, Lexie Adrian-Bergen, Kaleb Poulin, Madelyn Smith, and Chanelle Poulin.
(Submitted by Shawna MacKenzie)
