École Héritage Immersion School in St. Pierre held a fundraiser for CancerCare Manitoba last week.
Led by Student Council members Ava Pilotte and Parker Hamilton, the initiative continues a proud tradition at the school.
“We're doing this fundraiser, it's called Kick Cancer to the Curb,” Hamilton says. “And we've been doing it for a while now. It's a street hockey tournament that we have on our school street, and so we get teams together from our school, the RCMP, and the other French school in St. Pierre here, and we play a big hockey game to raise some money.”
Hamilton took on a key role in organizing the event and also raised funds to play on a team.
“I'm on team white this year. We've also got Team Pink and then we've got the other school's team that are rocking the green jerseys.”
Participation in the game was open to students and staff, but the final roster was determined by how much each person raised. The top 12 fundraisers from École Héritage and the top six from École Communautaire Réal-Bérard earned a spot on the team.
The school chose to support CancerCare Manitoba Foundation for its vital role in providing exceptional care to patients and families, and Hamilton says it means a lot to raise funds for the organization.
“I know that cancer touches everybody and to be able to get kids out of classes, it takes a lot of sacrifice, and it takes a lot of work and dedication to get this done. And so, it's pretty awesome that we've got a really cooperative school that's enthusiastic in helping these foundations.”
The event blended fun and fundraising, helping build school spirit while supporting a meaningful cause.
“It brings us closer and closer as a class and as a school. We've got K to 12 here, coming at different times to watch us play and as a graduating student, it's a really nice way to end off a good four years of high school here,” Hamilton explains.
Local RCMP officers also suited up for the event, which the students appreciated.
“It's a huge thing for people like the RCMP to come out because they are the ones that are protecting our communities and it's nice to have them come join us and have some fun and get to know them.”
École Héritage Principal Julie Karatchuk says the students’ commitment to the cause stood out.
“To know that all of the students had to fundraise to be part of a team means that they actually went out of their way and really took it seriously to be able to be part of this today, and they're competing against their colleagues from a different school. They have the RCMP playing with them. It just shows great demonstration of citizenship and care for the community and care for each other in support of a great cause.”
While the hockey tournament was the main event, other students supported the cause by running food sales during the day.
“Students got together, they organized a canteen, they organized a freezie sale, and there are also donations still being accepted as the game is being played.”
The school set a fundraising goal of $5,000, with fun incentives motivating students along the way.
“The students have had incentives at every $500 raised, staff have agreed to get something done either dressed up in a certain way, have their legs shaved, their beard shaved, ice bucket challenge. So, there have been a lot of things going on helping the students, encouraging them to hit those milestones,” Karatchuk says.
Overall, the day brought the school community together for a cause that touches many.