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Three Howe Sound Secondary School Grade 10 students recently 鈥減itched鈥� their chosen charity, and wound up securing $5,000 in funding for the 撸奶社区General Hospital Women鈥檚 Auxiliary.
In early June, Harbir Atwall, Ali Wallace and Makenna Bailey were chosen as winners of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) Challenge, part of the curriculum in Grade 10 Planning classes at HSSS. The course, a requirement for all Grade 10 students, includes training in how to manage one鈥檚 personal finances and healthy living and eating, as well as on giving back to the community, teacher Nathalie Boisvert said last week.
In May, about 180 students split into teams and discussed what sort of issues they thought were important to both themselves and to the community.
The teams were then asked to choose a local charity to support and to begin researching that cause 鈥� research that included a site visit/interviews with those heading up the charity 鈥� in preparation for a 10-minute presentation explaining the organization鈥檚 mission and how a grant would serve its clients.
Each of the eight Planning 10 classes chose the best presentation, then the eight winners were whittled down to four for the final presentation in front of the entire HSSS student body and judged by a panel that included Coun. Susan Chapelle and Elliot Moses, executive director of the 撸奶社区Chamber of Commerce.
The presentation by Atwall, Wallace and Bailey was judged the best, resulting in $5,000 from YPI 鈥� an international foundation that promotes youth involvement in charitable causes 鈥� going to the auxiliary
鈥淭hey were all good but theirs really stood out. I thought it was very comprehensive,鈥� Boisvert said.
Presentations on behalf of the 撸奶社区Food Bank, the 撸奶社区Hospice Society and the 撸奶社区Helping Hands Society also were among the finalists.
Boisvert said the exercise teaches the youths about the importance of being connected to their community.
鈥淭his is about the time in life when the students a have to start thinking about what sort of careers they want to pursue, and we also want them to think about how to give back,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t really opens up networks for them 鈥� they have to talk to adults and open themselves up to the outside community.鈥�
The 撸奶社区General Hospital Women鈥檚 Auxiliary is one of Squamish鈥檚 oldest charities. It runs the gift shop at the hospital and also raises money through regular raffles and its annual Christmas bazaar. The 鈥淲A,鈥� as it鈥檚 often called, also owns all the TVs at the hospital, said current president Audrey Peterson.
Like the 撸奶社区Hospital Foundation, the WA helps purchase medical equipment and other items needed at the hospital. Last fall, the WA contributed $17,000 toward the purchase of equipment such as a neo-resuscitator that helps newborns breathe immediately after birth.
Peterson said WA organizers were 鈥渧ery pleased鈥� to have drawn the interest of Atwall, Wallace and Bailey and been granted the money.
鈥淲e need young people, and they want to become involved with us, selling raffle tickets and what not,鈥� she said.
