Way to go, Algoma District School Board!

NEWS RELEASE

ALGOMA DISTRICT
SCHOOL BOARD

*****************************
Algoma District School Board schools demonstrate their character through substantial fundraising efforts last month

Over the month of December, a time of year that can sometimes be difficult for families, individuals and community organizations who support those most in need, Algoma District School Board (ADSB) students and personnel stepped up fundraising efforts and contributed in an overwhelming way throughout the district.

ADSB schools fundraise throughout the year and the December focus has become an annual endeavour.  

In the words of Director Lucia Reece: “It is absolutely heart-warming to hear the stories and to see the generosity of our students and staff. Our efforts are reflective of the caring citizens we are developing, and the good character we aim to model for and instil in our students. Way to go ADSB!”

Here, to capture a sampling of the caring and strong character evident in our schools, is a list of the wonderful acts of kindness and fundraising efforts that took place, mostly throughout December 2013.

In Brief

Collectively, Algoma District School Board students and staff throughout the district:

Raised $18,072 in cash donations, which went directly to food banks, women’s and men’s shelters, charity organizations, hurricane relief efforts, the purchase of grocery gift cards, Christmas food baskets, classmates’ relief funds, community families in need, “build a school” brick by brick, and Christmas Cheer

Collected approximately 11,555 canned food items for delivery to various district food banks and Christmas Cheer outlets. This included 8,805 canned items collected by a number of schools who kept count, approx. 1,750 items collected by three schools alone to support the SSM Soup Kitchen (KISSFM Restock). These canned items half-filled an ADSB cube van. Approx 1,000 canned items collected by schools who didn’t keep count. We are estimating this likely added up to an additional 1,000 cans.

Prepared and sent 404 shoe boxes for Good Samaritan Operation Christmas Child. The 404 were collected by six of our schools.

Worth noting: White Pines prepared 216 boxes, an all-time record for schools and/or other groups according to Operation Christmas Child.

In Detail

Arthur Henderson donated 450 food items to their local food bank; $150 to their local food bank; staff donated about $120 dollars to a local group that provides families in need with Christmas baskets.

Aweres collected canned goods for the Eagles' Canned Food Drive in Aweres Township. They collected a total of 225 items.

Ben R McMullin collected 233 cans for WE SCARE HUNGER, and about 500 for Christmas Cheer. They also raised $3,000 dollars as a fundraiser for one of their JK students who has been diagnosed with Leukemia.

Blind River PS held a canned food drive for their local Christmas Food Baskets - approximate value $250. They also fundraised for Hurricane Haiyan and raised $686. This effort included the Principal Mr. Nyman having to eat bugs!

Central Algoma Secondary School (CASS) CASS Student's Council held a food drive with Grade 7-12 students. They collected 500 canned and non-perishable food items which were donated to local food banks. The school also donated 10 bags of jeans to Jeans for Teens. CASS Intermediate (Gr 7/8) held a Thursday (Jersday) for a charity called Smile Train, which aids in getting children with cleft palettes the surgery they need. CASS Guidance staff donated food gift cards and Christmas gift cards to a family in need to help them have a Merry Christmas (in lieu of staff Christmas gifts)

Chapleau Elementary and Secondary school community held a food drive for Christmas and five dozen canned goods/non-perishable food items were collected.

East View PS collected $100 worth of food for St. Vincent's Place and held a canned food drive for Garden River (about 10 boxes, approximately 500 cans).

Echo Bay PS held a campaign for items for the Christmas Cheer in their local area. Traditionally they hold a friendly competition with other Central Algoma schools. This year they worked with St. Joseph Island PS and CASS Intermediate School. Echo Bay school collected 1,056 items (canned food, knitted hats, mittens, toiletries, etc.). Students in Grade 5/6 then helped to organize items.

Elliot Lake Secondary School during December, partnered with a local business to have a 12 days of Christmas draw. Every day a draw was held and the prize included a warm sweater, mitts and a hat. The retail value of this was about $2,500. The school contributed $1,800. Leadership students also adopted a family who was given gifts and cash totalling about $200. Finally, ELSS construction SHSM students spent a day putting food hampers together at the local food bank.

Etienne Brule PS was a centre for the distribution of Christmas Cheer baskets. GP Flake Board provided Christmas Bags for all students at the school. Staff, parents and community provided students with a stuffed animal, a Christmas stocking full of treats for the students, hot chocolate tubes, reindeer food tubes and supported students in providing Christmas gifts for families.

Esten Park PS participated in Operation Christmas Child with an estimated value of shoeboxes and donations approximately $250. A Family Christmas Matinee admission was a donation towards the local Food Bank with an estimated value of the donations to be $400. The school also partnered with two other organizations to provide support to some of the school’s families, some fundraising and helping with organizing and distributing items. Money was sent to the school from Elliot Lake’s "Mall Collapse Fund" and the school put this money towards the purchase of gift grocery cards for families in the amount of $1,200.

FH Clergue collected approximately 10 boxes of canned goods for the Soup Kitchen through their "We Scare Hunger" campaign at Hallowe'en. They did the same again for Christmas Cheer, collecting about 350 cans and non-perishables. Also six bags of clothes were collected and donated.

Grand View PS had its annual canned food drive, Coats for Kids and donated several toys to Christmas Cheer and ETFO's hats and gloves campaign. Their canned food drive was a WE Scare Hunger campaign.

Greenwood PS Christmas Cheer collected 680 cans. Through WeDay Theme Days they raised $320 which goes towards “build a school brick by brick” campaign.

Isabel Fletcher collected seven boxes of cans and also organized a Coats for Kids drive.

Johnson-Tarbutt collected over 400 non-perishable food items and donated them to the Bruce Mines and Area Food Bank in the month of December. On another note, they donated the left-overs from their Turkey Luncheon in October to Women in Crisis in Sault Ste. Marie. They received an abundance of turkey, potatoes, stuffing and vegetables.

Kiwedin PS collected non-perishable food items totalling approximately 350 items.

Michipicoten High School (MHS) held a fundraising event called Food for Fro (a student was willing to shave his head if the school brought in 2,500 canned goods). They fell short of this goal but did bring in 900 cans and $400 in donations. All the cans and $200 went to the Wawa Food bank and the other $200 went to the White River food bank. The school’s Xmas Fine Arts Night raised $1,100 in donations that is going to help Haiti kids with school books and supplies. A bottle drive fund raiser collected $1,200 and the school used it for a donation to a family in need at Sick Kids Hospital; $200 and $500 is going towards RBC to help build 200 schools in communities in need. The $500 bought MHS 25 bricks towards the building of a school.

Mountain View PS collected 524 canned food items for the food bank at Goulais River. They also supplied local families with "Blessings in a back pack" to help them over the holidays. The SK class participated in Shoe box initiative which was organized through the Timberland store.

Parkland PS donated about 500 cans to the Soup Kitchen; raised $250 for the Red Cross to support the Typhoon Haiyan Fund in the Philippines; and donated three large garbage bags of clothing to Women in Crisis.

Pinewood PS participated in collecting 8 dozen items of food and approximately $150 for Christmas Cheer. They took part in Operation Christmas Child - Samaritan's Purse and put together 78 shoe boxes for children in other countries. Approximate value of $2,000. The school also contributed $596 to the SMS society for Exceptional Student-Assistive Technology Needs. This was a parent fundraiser.

River View PS did a Christmas Cheer Canned Food Drive; Operation Christmas Child gifts for children in underdeveloped countries; donations to the Humane Society (in memory of a school grandparent).

At Rockhaven students and staff prepared baking and sent it to shut-ins and seniors at the local residence in Elliot Lake.

Rosedale PS took part in Christmas Cheer by collecting canned items. They also had a pyjama day and collected about $500 and purchased items for teenage boys and girls for Christmas Cheer.

Superior Heights Collegiate & Vocational School did a canned food drive for Christmas Cheer.

Sir James Dunn PS collected approximately 120 food items for the Community Christmas hampers, and approx. $1,700 for a major fundraising campaign in Wawa for We Create Change: Build a School in Africa. This was done through a White Elephant sale, winter concert silver collection, staff donations, and in-lieu of gifts to teachers donations from families.

St Joseph Island PS collected non-perishable foods and toiletries for the local Food Bank on St. Joseph Island. They were in a competition with Echo Bay PS and CASS Intermediate to see who could collect the most as per their student population. St. Joseph Island students collected over 1,000 items and won the competition! An impressive effort.

Tarentorus PS collected canned items in a Food Drive and $150 donation to Christmas Cheer from Pyjama Day Donations.

Thessalon PS collected over 300 nonperishable food items for the Thessalon Food Bank. They also participated in the Good Samaritan's Shoe Box campaign and collected 35 shoe boxes.

W.C. Eaket held a community Food Drive and collected donations of $350 for the Philippine Disaster Relief fund.

White Pines collected 4 boxes of canned foods, a hockey bag of hats and mitts and 216 boxes for Operation Christmas Child. They were told that this was an all-time for schools and any other group.

ADSB donated the use of the former SJD site for use by Christmas Cheer.

Ben R McMullin, Northern Heights, and White Pines Intermediate, collected half a cube van full of canned food items that were delivered to the Soup Kitchen (this was to support the KissFM Restock event).

ADSB Education Centre staff collected over $1,700 and donated to the Soup Kitchen’s Good Food Box (fresh veggie program), allowing  families to have fresh vegetable delivery for the next year. This was in lieu of doing a gift exchange

Christmas Cheer was the recipient of a cube van’s worth of gifts and necessities from ADSB Education Centre staff, plant staff and administrators.

*****************************