Holiday giving at GREC

Julie Druker | Dec 16, 2015

Prior to their annual Jingle Bell Walk at the Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake on December 4, students and staff gathered in the school courtyard to celebrate their two-week-long fundraising efforts for the North Frontenac Food Bank. Over the last two weeks students have been collecting donations and this year over 1000 food items were collected. To celebrate that fact, students and staff from the school gathered in the outdoor courtyard, where students from the school’s Lakers program loaded a pick up truck with the boxed food donations and then accompanied it to the food bank in Sharbot Lake.

This is the second consecutive year that the students in the Lakers program have been fundraising and volunteering with the food bank. Lakers program teacher, Ms. Kacur, said the students have also been volunteering every week throughout the year at the food bank, where they have been busy stocking shelves and organizing the donations. Kacur said that the efforts of the students allow them to understand that they are part of the local community and that their efforts are not only much appreciated but are also a way for them to give back to their local community.

Grade 10 student, Franky Badour, is in the Lakers program and is a regular weekly volunteer at the food bank. He said he likes helping out and explained that his efforts are also a way of acquiring his school community volunteer hours.

Part of the fundraising event also included a toy donation drive for children in need in the community. GREC teacher Ms. Kirby, who teaches French and physical education to the high school students, headed up the toy and food drive this year. She said that a school-wide competition was set up, awarding a prize to the class that raised the most food donations.

This year it was Mr. Flegal's grade four class who collected the most - close to one quarter of the overall donations - and his students will be celebrating their efforts with a special treat of hot chocolate and cookies. Congratulations to all the students and the donors. Their efforts will go a long way in assisting those in need in the community. The toy drive continues on until the year-end and to date 20 toys have been collected.