St. Peter raises $67,131
High school tops last year’s Terry Fox rally by $4K
A pair of Grade 12 students at St. Peter Secondary School set the bar high during this year’s Terry Fox campaign in an effort to inspire others.
Friends Megan Quinlan, 17, and Mackenzie Evans, 17, teamed up to raise money this year.
They raised $2,600 collectively, making them the top overall fundraisers for the school.
All together, students and staff at the Medical Drive Catholic high school pulled in $67,131 for the campaign.
Quinlan and Evans decided to partner up to make a bigger difference.
“We knew that if we worked together we could raise a lot of money,” said Evans after the St. Peter Terry Fox touchdown assembly Friday.
The duo was recognized at the assembly, along with the top three fund ra si er sf rom each grade as well as the top class.
It took Quinlan and Evans six Saturdays to raise the cash. For four of them, they stood on a median on L ans dow ne St. W ., near the Summit Plaza that houses Canadian Tire and The Brick.
Their motivation derived from two avenues. They wanted to help St. Peter keep its title as the top Terry Fox campaign fundraising school in Canada, and go big for their final year.
Evans and Quinlan noticed a di pin the total pot at St. Peter over the last few years. When the girls started high school in 2014, their school raised $137,370. It dropped to $75,000 in 2015, then to $63,192 in 2016.
“We figured we’ve got the time ... and if we can make that big of a difference, we were hoping that people would realize they could do that, too,” Evans said.
They also wanted togo out with a bang for their last year.
“Especially since it’ s our Grade 12 year, we might as well put a big effort into it,” Quinlan said.
After three years of raising $200 for the campaign, Quinlan said the top spot felt good.
“It’s really awesome,” she said. Her partner agreed, hoping it would mean more than just recognition.
“We hope that it influences others to do it as well,” Evans said.
St. Peter principal Joel Webster said he’s always amazed with his school’s effort.
“This year, it’s $4,000 more than last year. I don’ t know where it comes from, but it’s amazing,” he said.
The school also has a number of students and staff currently battling the disease, Webster said.
“We’ve got some really close people that we’ re fighting for, so it meant a lot,” he said.
Neeshali Adhya, the Terry Fox school ambassador for Ontario, was on hand to pick up the cheque Friday.
She was taken aback by St. Peter school spirit. Students participated in a questionable cooking tasting contest and a handful of male stu- dents had their legs waxed on stage. Teachers entertained as well, with lip syncing and a rap battle. Some also stuffed their faces in bowls of spaghetti.
“I love the atmosphere here, everybody is so encouraging and supportive and riled up – and it’s awesome to see,” said Adhya, a Trent University graduate.
And every dollar towards the campaign helps, she said, with funds supporting cancer research. That research has changed the odds for cancer patients of today.
Thirty-seven years ago, Terry Fox was given a 15 to 20 percent survival rate when he was diagnosed.
“That number today is up to 80 percent and that’ s all because of the money that we’re able to raise and that’s truly incredible,” Adhya said.