ST. STEPHEN – A group of high school students has been hard at work raising money for families in need in Ukraine.
The members of the St. Stephen High School Spartan Service Group (SSG) organized a lip sync battle, blue and yellow day, and a night out for elementary school children.
Staff and students battled to see who had the best lip syncing abilities, props, and creative performances in front of the student body at the SSG’s Lip Sync Battle fundraiser. A panel of 12 judges crowned a group of teachers as the battle winners, based on the audience’s applause.
“All performers did a fantastic job. It was a difficult decision by the judges,” Tricia Calder, SSG supervising teacher, said in an email to the Courier. “The event was a big hit.”
Students organized a Blue and Yellow Day, which involved staff and students wearing the colours of the Ukrainian flag and donating a toonie toward the families in need.
The final fundraiser the SSG organized was a “night out” for elementary school children involving a movie and plenty of snacks, with donations collected at the door.
“We were very surprised by the turnout. The SSG students were very appreciative of the community support,” said Calder.
The SSG set a fundraising goal of $500, which they exceeded between all events, raising a total of $1085.30.
First-year member Lily Rickett said, “The decision of the group was to donate the money through Red Cross to help the families in Ukraine.”
After a brainstorming session sparked conversation surrounding the war in Ukraine, it was clear to the students what they wanted to fundraise for.
“I feel that immediately a shared sense of connection filled the room,” said SSG member of three years Abi Legacy. She explained that the group has kept themselves informed with the “truly unimaginable” events as they unfolded in the media.
“It was a unanimous decision to support families at the hands of war in Ukraine, and we couldn’t be prouder of the contribution we will be making to support them. I am certain that everyone else here in the Spartan Service Group will agree that it is an incredible feeling to know we’re making a difference,” she said.
First-year member Rian Comeau added that, “It is a great feeling to help others and we feel proud volunteering our time knowing we are making a small difference in the lives of others.”
The SSG will begin another brainstorming session in the autumn, choosing a cause to collect donations for and planning the next fundraising initiatives, which will include another lip sync battle.
“They always seem to come up with wonderful ideas,” said Calder.
heatherknight@stcroixcourier.ca