Every September, Kwalikum Secondary School participates in its biggest fundraising event of the year - supporting Tour de Rock, an annual 14-day 12,000 km cycling fundraiser for kids with cancer. On this grueling tour, Cops for Cancer (first responders in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society) rely on schools and other organizations to cheer them on and donate to their cause.
Last September, the KSS student body was able to present the Tour de Rock riders with a cheque for $8,000. This year KSS had a strong start with money raised from events like the Spring Fling dance, the Bartathon, Teacher Torture, and more, adding up to nearly $2000 by the end of last school year. By September, Leadership teacher, Ms. Reid, felt confident that KSS could raise enough money in the last two weeks to beat the previous total and donate $10,000 dollars to Tour de Rock.
To achieve this ambitious goal, Kwalikum students participated in a Class vs. Class fundraiser which raised $3201, Chuck it in a Bucket which raised $134, and some students even took on door-to-door fundraising. Ms. Reid noted “It’s heartwarming to see students signing up to help just because they know it’s a good thing to do. There are good people in the world and events like this bring those people together.” Some students and teachers volunteered to shave their heads as a fundraiser, which contributed around $260 to the total and Ms. Stevens even pledged to get a tattoo of the student body's choosing if the school reached its $10,000 goal!
A bottle drive, which took place last weekend, was a new fundraiser this year. It relied heavily on staff, students, and community volunteers. “We made a large sum of money to go towards our total,” commented Ms. Reid. The bottle drive was mutually beneficial - helping the community, and the environment, and raising $1838 for Tour de Rock. Finally, the Golden Gala Dance, last Tuesday night, raised nearly $800 from ticket sales and raised the spirits of all who attended.
With all these efforts, the day before Tour de Rock arrived, KSS was only a few hundred dollars away from their goal. In the end, thanks to many generous online donations, Kwalikum Secondary was not only able to reach its goal but exceeded it, raising a total of $10,546. This money can make a huge impact on the lives of children with cancer and their families. “We make a difference with what we’re doing. Our efforts benefit children on Vancouver Island who are going through experiences no child or family should have to face,” said Ms. Reid.
When the Tour de Rock riders pulled into the parking lot on September 28th, KSS students cheered loudly - proud to contribute to such a worthwhile cause.
By Imogen Brown
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