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Two days of giving at Winkler’s Real Canadian Superstore, led by Sawatzky’s Furniture & Appliances and LG, turned generosity into classroom-ready supplies for Garden Valley and Western School Divisions.
A strong start, together
Neighbours showed up with notebooks, backpacks, and bills; enough to lift the total to more than $5200, ensuring students in Garden Valley School Division (GVSD) and Western School Division (WSD) begin the year equipped and confident. The goal was simple: ease the burden for families and let teachers focus on teaching. The effect will be felt immediately in classrooms across the region.
Why equality on day one matters
For GVSD’s Janice Krahn, Assistant Superintendent of Programs, it’s about dignity and focus: “For every child to be able to come into school on the very first day knowing they have the same thing everybody else has… They can just participate.” GVSD Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Cindy Hamilton reflected on why standardized supplies made a difference: “This used to be a very inequitable situation… and so they implemented a fee so that all children had the same supplies.” This initiative will help alleviate some of the cost. GVSD Board Chair Leah Klassen put it simply: “So, they can come to school ready to learn.”
From donations to desks
GVSD Superintendent Dan Ward emphasized the direct line of impact: “Their donations are going directly into classrooms… last year, we were able to buy in bulk and send those supplies directly to schools, and the classes that needed them.” GVSD Trustee Mandy Thiessen said the drive helps staff focus on what matters most: “We also want to make sure that our staff have all the supplies that they need… they’re thinking about education.”
Business and civic voices
From the sponsor table, Layal Jadhav of Sawatzky’s Furniture & Appliances called students “the future leaders of our community,” and encourages us to invest into our future leaders. Winkler Mayor Henry Siemens spoke to the long view: “We don’t even really know… the difference that we make in the future of a child, when we remove some of the stigma of not having something like school supplies.” In Morden, Mayor Nancy Penner pointed to growth pressures, “more kids, more need for school supplies,” as new and expanding spaces stretch resources.
Meeting growth with readiness
WSD Assistant Superintendent Marianne Fenn noted rapid enrolment changes: “There are new kids arriving all the time… having a bulk of supplies in the background… really helps out.” WSD Superintendent Stephen Jaddock underscored relief for bigger households: “Pressures on families with multiple children… using the financial donations to go towards covering those costs.” And in the hallways, Jordan Pauls, Vice-Principal at École Morden Middle School, sees the payoff, highlighting his favourite part of the job: “Those light bulb moments… just seeing them grow as people.”
Gratitude that shows up in classrooms
Every pencil, binder, and backpack is a message of care. Thanks to generous friends and neighbours, and partners like Sawatzky’s Furniture & Appliances, students across GVSD and WSD will walk in on day one ready to learn.
Thank you to all who contributed.
