Desserts for Drew at Sydenham HS

Photo:  students and staff at Sydenham High School's “Dessert for Drew” fundraiser

Thanks to the generosity of countless sweet-tooths at Sydenham High School the “Desserts for Drew” fundraiser was an overwhelming success. The event was organized by Sydenham's student council for former Sydenham student Drew Cumpson, who suffered an injury while body surfing in Peru that made him a quadriplegic.

At the time he was volunteering for the Project Serve International, a program run by the University of Guelph where he had been studying Hospitality and Tourism Management. Students were invited to classroom 206 over their lunch hour and for $5 could fill a plate of countless deserts made and donated by students, their families and staff at the school. Michele Hawley of Ecstati Cakes donated one of her exotic cakes that was raffled off at the event. The event raised over $1000 and together with a $500 donation from the student council, the total came to $1500, which will put towards purchasing an electric wheelchair for Drew.

Andrea Clarke, department head of English at Sydenham, taught Drew years back and remembers him as “a great school leader who worked on almost every school committee, was on student council, on the swim team and was one of those kids with a solid heart of gold, a really super kid with a positive attitude and who was a great team player.” Regarding the event she said, “ This is a really nice way for students and their families to help Drew and his family through this really unfortunate accident.”