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Fun with Fundraising: The Gift that Gives Back

Collectively, schools across the District raise money for cancer research with their annual Terry Fox Runs in early Fall. In recent weeks, students at several schools got to enjoy some of the “rewards” of the gift of giving, after exceeding their fundraising targets.

At Chaffey-Burke Elementary, fundraising milestones led to different events, with a “no homework weekend” for reaching $500 in donations, a staff member dying her hair “unicorn colour” at $2100, a pie in the face of two school staff volunteers if $3200 could be raised, and small ice buckets of water dumped on willing school staff if $4200 was raised.

The ultimate prize of a large bucket of ice water dumped on Principal Bruce Cornell was in play if more than $4200.01 was donated. Each of the milestones was achieved for a total of nearly $5600 – more than two thousand dollars greater than last year.

Other schools have also had success by emphasizing the fun in fundraising. Students at Inman Elementary threw pies at Principal Kelly Chow after beating their goal by more than $600 for a total of more than $2000.

The possibility of dumping cold water on willing school staff and Principal Wendell Hiltz at Stoney Creek Community School led to a near tripling of last year’s fundraising for the Terry Fox Foundation, with a total of more than $1600.

Across the District, school communities came together to achieve their goals. The fun, school spirit and desire to raise money for a good cause led to tens of thousands of dollars being raised collectively within the District for the Terry Fox Foundation.

In addition to honouring Terry Fox’s legacy by participating in their school runs and raising funds, students also discussed Terry’s heroic efforts and how they, too, can help in both big and small ways by being positive agents of change.

Read the story in the Burnaby Now.