Sundre High School students will be busy this week tackling odd jobs around the community to raise funds for their union.
The 50th anniversary of the May Queen program is kicking off its first day of work with a barbecue on Wednesday, May 8 at around 1:30 p.m., school staff said.
It started in 1969 when a group of students came up with the idea of raising funds for their graduation ceremony by taking on a variety of tasks around town. The $330 participating students in grades 9-11 had raised was deposited in accounts for each group. When graduation came around, every grade had some funding in reserve to help cover the costs of decorations, dinner and other expenses, said longtime teacher and May Queen advisor Chris Mertens.
That initial number of more than $300 raised in 1969 equates to about $2,150 in today’s currency when factoring in inflation.
As the initiative continued to grow over the years, so too did the funds raised by each grade, said Mertens.
“Competition was definitely a big part of this growth, with some grades winning multiple years in a row,” he said.
Additionally, the crowning title carries with it a sense of pride and honour. Every year, students strive to set the bar even higher, with the record amount generated observed in 2010, when almost $53,000 was raised. In 2018, students — with the help of school staff and parents — raised more than $41,600, he said.
“The students’ union decides how to spend the money each year with the largest portions going to graduation and athletics,” the math teacher said, adding that the full proceeds go back to the students.
Among the typical tasks that students take on include painting, rock picking, brush clearing, yardwork, taking down fences, tree planting, as well as cleaning houses and barns, he said.
“Many of the people in the community who employ our students were themselves involved with May Queen when they were students.”
The program inspires in students a sense of pride in a job well done, he said.
“We often receive feedback from the community as to how hard the students worked and how dedicated they were. School is not just about academics — it must also teach students what it means to be part of a community and what it takes to make a community thrive and prosper,” he said.
“May Queen does that.”
Over the years, the program has evolved. The students originally worked throughout the entire month of May, picking up jobs wherever and whenever they could. Now, the initiative occurs over the span of several days from Wednesday to Saturday, he said.
Students are scheduled to work starting this Wednesday and will be wrapping up on Saturday, with the May Queen Dance and crowning ceremony set for Thursday, May 16 at around 9 p.m. In recognition of the major milestone anniversary, Mertens said any former king and queen candidates are invited to join that evening’s celebration.
Winners are determined by how much money each grade raised per capita, he said.
“For instance, if a grade raises $9,100 and there are 70 students in that grade, their per capita would work out to $130 per student,” he explained.
“Students can also win individual prizes for themselves,” he added.
Each hour of work earns students one ticket, he said.
“Prizes vary each year, but there have been items such as gas cards, gift certificates to local businesses, PS4, GoPro camera and so on.”
Mertens said the students are grateful for the community’s continued support in making May Queen such a successful fundraiser every year.
Retiring from his career in education after 31 years, of which 25 were at Sundre High School, Mertens said he has served as a May Queen advisor for more than 20 years, “and will definitely miss this annual event.”
2019 May King and Queen candidates are: (Grade 9) Caleb Richardson and Megan Weiss; (Grade 10) Lawsen Augustowich and Alyssa Feil; (Grade 11) Thomas Robertson and Jaeden Gordon; and (Grade 12) Lawson Fournier and Shanay Wilson.
