Schools raise $18,000 for CSS campaign

By ANH HOANG
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

It may be blue, or red, or purple, or maybe all three colours. Since students exceeded their fundraising goal in the Kids Care Challenge, teachers at the school including Volk have volunteered to let them get their hair coloured.

St. Thomas More was part of 11 local Catholic schools that participated in the Challenge, an effort to raise money for the Sign of Hope campaign.

Students and teachers from the participating schools met at St. Joseph's High School, Nov. 29, to present a cheque for $18,360 to the campaign. The three-month campaign has already raised half of its $1.4 million goal.

The money will go to fund programs run by Catholic Social Services, from outreach to women at risk of giving birth to children with fetal alcohol syndrome to safe houses for street kids.

The fundraiser started humbly nine years ago, said Sandra Talarico, co-chair of the Challenge and chaplain at Louis St. Laurent, one of the participating schools.

The first year, Sir John Thompson raised $500. Since then other schools have hopped on board and organized sock hops, dance marathons, bake sales, country fairs and beach volleyball tournaments to raise money.

"It's also nice to have schools like St. Francis of Assisi, that's not in an (affluent) area," Volk said. "They don't have much to give - but they give from the heart, that's just as meaningful."

Students were shown a Sign of Hope video to inspire them for the Challenge. Some students could relate to the work of Catholic Social Services, said Volk, because they access the programs.

"Even if they don't use it now, they know that they may need it one day," said Kaye MacDonald, a former teacher, who has been involved since the first Challenge.

The Challenge gives students an awareness of their community and of belonging to it, said the teachers. It also shows the students a better understanding of charity.

One Grade 8 class at St. Thomas More had won a pizza party for selling the most coupon books as part of another fundraiser. They gave up their pizza party and instead donated the money to Sign of Hope.

"This teaches them good discipline," MacDonald said. "This is money they received (as gifts) or from allowance - instead of buying a chocolate bar they give it to (Sign of Hope) instead."

Other schools participating in this year's challenge are St. Edmund, St. Rose, St. Hilda, St. Elizabeth Seton, St. Clements, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and J.J. Bowlen.

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