Members of the Ecole Olds Elementary School Care Club recently raised $1,000 for the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.
Canadian Tire Jumpstart is a charity that helps fund recreation activities for children who otherwise wouldn't be able to participate.
Members of the Care Club, made up of students in grades 2 to 4 at the school, plus a few older students from Deer Meadow School, brainstormed ideas at the beginning of the year and decided they wanted to help more peers locally to play sports, explained Debbie Unger, one of the teachers at EOES that oversees the club.
Members of the club collected empty juice boxes and recycled them, ran a concession at a school sock hop and other activities.
“When they brainstormed (causes) then we (teachers) kind of go out and find out what's out there. We talked to Canadian Tire and thought that would be a great thing and then … the regional manager just happened to be in town and so that's how (it happened),” Unger said.
Glenn McLean, regional manager for Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities in Western Canada, happened to be in Olds on Jumpstart business, when he was informed about the amount raised at the school. He said he was impressed at the amount the students were able to raise.
“It was a substantial amount of funds to be able to go out and raise $1,000, and especially seeing that there's a need in their community to help other kids play. I thought that was just fantastic.”
Any money raised for Jumpstart Charities stays in the community in which it was raised. The $1,000 raised by the Care Club is enough money to help 10 to 15 children participate in activities that they might not otherwise be able to afford.
“Another 10 to 15 kids will be able to play a sport now because of the little kids in that club,” he said.
