Charity project comes to fruition

The class, calling themselves the Gum Gobblers, has received eight donations totalling close to $1,000 for the local branch of Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for terminally ill children.

“We wanted to help kids because they’re the future,” said 13-year-old Mitchell Muir.

The charities chosen by the other classes were S.O.S. Children’s Villages, Oprah’s Angel Network and Sopar. Altogether, the four classes have raised about $3,400.

Students began the project in mid-November by researching various foundations online. Later, they held debates to narrow down their choices.

“It was fun arguing with my friends,” joked Kyle Kennedy, 14, who first brought up Starlight as an option, “well, to convince them of my idea.”

Their final task was to assemble a 'marketing package' asking Montreal companies to donate. They were split into teams, each with a specific task such as designing the look of their packages, making bookmarks as a gift to the companies and composing a newsletter to explain their project.

The biggest challenge at that point was staying hopeful about getting a response. The class was divided on whether they would receive even a single donation.

“After all the work we put into it and we saw how good (the packages) looked, I knew it was going to work,” Kennedy said.

Overall, feedback has been very positive and encouraging.

“A lot of companies are happy to donate,” classmate Michael Bucci, 13, said. “If they can’t give us money, it’s usually because they’re supporting another charity already and they tell us that they think we’re doing a good job. Or else, they try to give us something other than money.”

Kirkland-based sports manufacturer Mission ITECH Hockey donated hockey equipment instead of money.

Carly Spadafora, 13, believes that the overwhelming response has to do with them being students.

“Because kids are taking action to make a difference, there’s a bigger impact,” she said.

Bianca Pillarella, 13, agrees but adds their success is also related to the letters they wrote, which were hand-written, personalized and decorated for each company.

“The mailman got mad at us!” Bucci said. “There were so many colours on the envelope that they couldn’t find the address.”

And while they’re spending countless hours giving to their community, the students unanimously agreed that they’re gaining a lot from it too.

“It feels good to help other people and make their lives a little better,” Spadafora said.

“Usually you wake up in the morning and you don’t think about the problems around you,” Bucci said. “But we realized that we’re so lucky to be healthy and have a good education,” Spadafora continued.

The students are an energetic group who give each other props for their contributions and make sure each one is allowed to speak without interruption.

A ceremony will be held next Tuesday where a cheque will be presented to the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation.