‘There’s no better cause’
Goal surpassed in bid to raise money for AED at Greenfield Elementary School
A Gardiner Mines woman who discovered there wasn’t an automated external defibrillator at her child’s school, decided to do something about it.
Laurie Gardiner raised enough money to purchase the defibrillator for Greenfield Elementary School in River Ryan which cost $2,375 but she ended up raising a total of $9,543.
“The remaining $7,168 will be going to the Greenfield Home and School Association and they will be deciding what the students need.”
Gardiner said she read a news story which said all schools in Newfoundland have an AED. The schools acquired the equipment as a result of a $400,000 donation from the Newfoundland Building Construction Trade Council.
Gardiner started a fundraising campaign selling tickets on a Mother’s Day basket and was contacted by the Scotchtown Volunteer Fire Department with a $1,000 donation.
She was also contacted by Scotiabank in New Waterford offering to match whatever she raised through the ticket sales. She raised $4,209 and that will be matched by the bank.
“When we calculated what we sold in tickets and ended up raising altogether we couldn’t believe it.”
Chief Raymond Eksal of the Scotchtown fire department said as soon as the firefighters learned of the campaign, they decided to take part.
“There’s no better cause to donate to than the safety and well-being of our children, that’s our future.”
The fire department carries an AED on its fire truck but he said it’s important also to have one at the school.
“In a situation like that every second counts.”
Darren Googoo, chair of the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, said there are currently 10 AEDs in local schools. He said two were provided for students who have specific medical issues and eight were donated to specific schools.
“Should there be a medical request in an individual school we will provide that device, provided there is a documented medical need,” Googoo added.