For the second year in a row, students at Sunrise Ridge Elementary School have organized a fundraiser for Cloverdale’s Coldest Night of the Year.
Last year students helped raise money for Coldest Night and they also taped their principal to a gym wall as part of their fundraising efforts.
This year the Grade 7s helped arrange another neighbourhood walk, but this year they replaced the wall-taping with “egg roulette.”
Holly Dickinson, a Grade 7 teacher at Sunrise Ridge, said her students were instrumental in getting the CNOY event going for 2023.
“My students have helped organize and facilitate another school walk,” said Dickinson. “Approximately 370 Sunrise Ridge students and staff participated in (the event).”
The school walk took place Feb. 23, a day before the nationwide event was held.
SEE ALSO: Cloverdale’s Coldest Night raises more than $274K, breaks previous year’s record
“This year, as an extra incentive for students to meet their fundraising goal of raising $1,000, eight teachers volunteered to play a game of chance,” said Dickinson.
That game of chance, egg roulette, resulted in a few teachers ending up with egg on their heads. That’s because the kids at Sunrise ended up raising $1,400.
“The excitement and energy in the gym during these events could be described as electric,” added Dickinson.
SEE ALSO: Sunrise students raise funds for ‘Coldest Night’ while duct taping principal to gym wall
“My group of Grade 7 kiddos have embraced the idea that we must put our money where our mouth is,” Dickinson explained, “acknowledging that taking action is the only way forward.”
Dickinson’s Grade 7 class has been very active helping out in the community. In addition to CNOY, the class helped with: Langley’s Small Dog Rescue, donating a portion of their entrepreneur fair sales; Toque Tuesday, organizing a warm clothing drive for homeless youth in Surrey, then playing a game of hockey at an event in Surrey Civic Plaza to raise awareness; Christmas Hamper Program, organizing a schoolwide campaign to collect food and toiletries for the Cloverdale Community Kitchen’s annual hamper initiative; the Terry Fox Run, raising money for the Terry Fox Foundation.
“One of the other Grade 7 classes (Hugh McDonald) also raised money for the Community Kitchen by building a cardboard arcade,” noted Dickinson. “They charged admission by donation and then used all the proceeds to go on a shopping trip to purchase food for the foodbank (Fraser Valley Regional Food Bank).”
Dickinson said her students have been working tirelessly on extracurricular initiatives. Apart from their charity work, the students have also been fundraising to pay for their own two-day camping trip.
“This group of kids and their desire to help others makes me feel very optimistic and excited for the future,” added Dickinson. “I am so proud of them.”
As of publication time, Cloverdale’s Coldest Night event had raised more than $276,000, 110 per cent of its fundraising goal.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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