LCI students leave We Day with funds to build school in Ecuador
A group of students at LCI who have been raising money to build a school in Ecuador were surprised by a fundraising announcement at We Day in Calgary on Wednesday that will allow them to hit their funding goals.
Emma McLeod is a Grade 12 student at LCI. For the past two years, she has been part of the effort to have a school built in Ecuador.
The students needed $10,000 to build the school but, by the end of last year, they had mustered only $5,000.
McLeod said they had thought they were going to be recognized for their hard work and efforts during the We Day event, but everyone was surprised when the funding announcement was made.
McLeod had left early from We Day so she did not hear the official announcement. She received a text from one of her teachers letting her know.
“It was amazing,” she said. “I was speechless. It was so cool.”
A student group called the “Association to Kill Apathy” was formed in 2005. About six years ago, the group became interested in the idea of building a school in a developing part of the world and have been working toward it.
“The idea of trying to raise $10,000 to build a school is a little bit daunting,” said LCI teacher David Fletcher. “But we thought we could take that on.”
He said raising funds in small ways has been a slow process.
“When you are raising a quarter or a loonie at a time, it takes a while to get to $10,000,” he said.
The group was disappointed after being turned down for a $4,000 grant that would have brought them close to their goal.
But Free the Children, the organization behind We Day, kept their application video and went hunting for a business to partner with. The group was then surprised with the announcement that a business had been found which would match their funds and get them to that $10,000 mark.
“It’s huge,” Fletcher said. “Any time you take on an initiative, the idea that you are not making your goals and you are maybe not going to be successful, it kind of weighs on the heart a little bit. It just gives you a nice, warm glow in your heart knowing that this is going to happen.”
“It feels really good,” McLeod said. “I feel so incredibly grateful to this company for them stepping up and funding us the money. It’s my last year, and I’m so glad we were able to tie it altogether, and we will actually be able to build a school.”
“I’m really passionate about education,” she said. “I feel like everyone should have the opportunity to get an education and it kind of makes me sad that we take it for granted here in Canada and Lethbridge. I felt if I was able to help kids get an education, that’s just one step towards a better world.”
Fletcher said We Day is a big part of focusing the creative and positive energy of young people.
“We Day is always exciting,” he said. “You can’t beat the energy you can feel from a Saddledome packed with 17,000 young people who are all excited and interested and trying to make positive changes in the world.” Follow @JWSchnarrHerald on Twitter