Staff and students at Dr. Brosseau attempted to inspire change at their school on March 2 by hosting their first ever We Day event.
The afternoon was filled with guest speakers and activities all aimed at encouraging the students to change “me” to “we” and join together to create social change.
Curtis Hargrove, a 26-year-old Cold Lake native who is known for his many fundraising projects, was a guest speaker at the event.
Hargrove started having an impact on the community when he was just 15-years-old, organizing a 24-hour hockey tournament and collecting $25,000 to help a local girl purchase a much needed communications device.
He has also made the 7,000 kilometre trek across Canada raising $250,000 for the Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital, and walked from Cold Lake to Edmonton in two inch high heels as part of the Walk a Mile project.
“I had a lot of people telling me that it was impossible to do,” said Hargrove, addressing a gym full of students at Dr. Brosseau on Wednesday.
“There have been plenty of times in my life I have been told I can't do something, but there is nothing more that I love than inspiring people and helping people believe in change.”
The former student of Cold Lake's Assumption high school provided the students with a local example of what change can be created. Hargrove recounted his past journeys, showed a video of his run from Port Alberni, BC to Hollywood where he attempted to deliver a handmade blanket to Ellen DeGeneres. His speech pushed the point of needing to work together to accomplish the impossible.
“I talk about my projects but those aren't me, they are a ‘we'. I couldn't have done a lot of those projects if I didn't have the people I have in my life. It is very important to remember about the people you have in your life,” said Hargrove.
The day was led by a group of student leaders and teachers who attended one of 14 global We Day events in Calgary back in November. This group tried to bring the energy of their experience with thousands of other students at the Saddledome back to Bonnyville.
“We Day really did change our perspective on things and we really wanted to bring that perspective here to Dr. B. It was a very small format but our point was to have the feeling we had in Calgary,” said Sara Collins, a teacher at Dr. Brosseau and co-organizer of the event.
“We really wanted students to recognize that there is more than just themselves; that there is a whole community surrounding us and there are people in need; there are people in our own classrooms that just need a friend.”
As part of the event students were asked to think of three people who were a huge impact in their lives. They then spent time writing a quick thank you to those people. The goal of the exercise was to open the students' eyes and show them they are not alone, that they have other people around them.
They also had the chance to watch a video of a speech from the We Day event in Calgary. The video featured Spencer West, a man born without the lower half of his body, who overcame his physical disability and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
“I think it was awesome. The kids were pumped up. We certainly hit a nerve with some of them and inspired some. We are working towards change,” said Julie Norrie, a teacher who also attended the Calgary event.
Students from Dr. Brosseau took over the microphone and gave presentations, with one covering the topic of bullying and other trying to put their problems into perspective.
By the end of the two hours of events the kids had heard the same message in many different ways; they have the ability to impact change if they would together and fight for their idea.
“You guys are the ones who are going to make the change. You are going to be the ones who make this a place people want to live,” said Hargrove.
“Whether you love the environment, love animals or love helping people there are plenty of different things you can do out there to make change.”
