LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Student volunteers,
ELIZABETH CHORNEY-BOOTH
Many private school students know that they’re fortunate to be getting such a high-quality education and, in turn, try to do their part by participating in charitable endeavours. These four Calgary students have gone the extra mile when it comes to giving back to the community at large:
CHELAN LEES, EDGE SCHOOL
Even though Chelan Lees is only in Grade 8, she’s already a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. In addition to her busy school and soccer schedule, Lees has raised more than $53,000 for a charity called Operation Smile, which provides cleft lip and palate surgeries to children in developing countries.
Lees started donating to Operation Smile in 2014 when she auctioned off a necklace she made for $18,000 at a party. Country singer Gord Bamford, who was providing entertainment at the gathering, followed Lees’ lead and auctioned his guitar to raise an additional $30,000. Lees now runs a business selling bath bombs, cards and other items at farmers’ markets, donating a third of her sales to the charity.
“It makes me feel really good,” she says. “I’m really happy that I get to help other kids.”
NESH WRATHALL, RIVER VALLEY SCHOOL
When Nesh Wrathall got the chance to be “principal for a day” at River Valley School when she was in Grade 3, she decided she wanted to use her temporary power to help others. After discussing it with school administration, Wrathall started a food drive dubbed 12 Days of Christmas.
“Christmas is a good holiday to be with friends and family and I thought people should have a nice dinner during that time,” Wrathall says.
In the program’s second year this past December, River Valley collected enough food through 12 Days of Christmas that a bus was needed to take all of the donations to the CBC’s annual Calgary Food Bank drive.
Wrathall plans to continue leading the drive in years to come and hopes that River Valley will continue it after she graduates in Grade 6.
YUN XIAO, WEBBER ACADEMY
When Yun Xiao, a Grade 12 student at Webber Academy, caught the volunteering bug, she caught it hard. All Webber students are required to volunteer at the school in some way — Xiao has focused her efforts on the Legacy Club, a school group that collects recycling and raises money for Kiva, which grants small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries.
In addition to Legacy Club, Xiao is part of the student government, the editor of a student magazine and volunteers outside of school with Youth Central’s Youth Earth Ambassadors. Xiao credits the culture at her school with inspiring her to get involved.
“Webber is really tightknit and everyone really knows each other,” she says. “That encourages us to use our talent and interests to impact the community.”
MICHAEL LYNDE, DELTA WEST ACADEMY
When Michael Lynde started at Delta West Academy four years ago he hadn’t given much thought to charity work, but the school’s emphasis on giving back to the community quickly changed that. All Delta West students are expected to participate in initiatives like the school’s coat drive for the Salvation Army and a holiday toy drive.
Now in Grade 12, Lynde says that the school’s contribution to the Field of Crosses Memorial Project, where more than 3,400 white crosses are set up along Memorial Drive for Remembrance Day, has been particularly moving for him. The project has deepened his understanding of veterans and history.
“Kids in my generation get a sense of perspective from helping,” he says. “People tend to lose sight of what’s important, but being involved in it really does help gain that perspective.”