GLENDON - With just a few days of organizing, combined with some eager students who simply want to help those in need, efforts at Glendon School have already resulted in over $1,000 being raised for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
On March 7, Glendon School held Hroshi Monday, which translates from Japanese to mean "generous Monday," but also translates from Ukrainian to mean "Money Monday." Along with wearing Ukrainian clothing and the colours blue and yellow, a collection of cash donations was taken up.
Annette Dillon is a teacher at Glendon School, and she also helps with the Junior/Senior High Leadership Team, hosting fundraisers to benefit the school, organizations in the region, and global causes.
After a retired teacher stopped by the school asking if there were any fundraising efforts underway to help Ukrainians, students and staff moved quickly. They bounced ideas around, and decided that getting funds collected and sent to an organization that could help people quickly was the priority.
“We wanted to do something quick," says Dillon.
Glendon School found a partner with the Master’s Foundation, and 100 per cent of proceeds raised will go directly to citizens and refugees of Ukraine.
The Master’s Foundation has direct connections to Glendon and Glendon School, says Dillon. Stan Watrich, a past Glendon School graduate, is the president of the Foundation in Canada. The organization's focus right now is immediate humanitarian aid to people who have been affected by the ongoing conflict.
In late February, the Russian military invaded Ukraine, launching attacks on various cities.
The community of Glendon is very proud of its Ukrainian heritage, and is known as the perogy capital of Canada.
"This issue is especially close to our hearts.Not only are we fundraising for Ukraine but we are celebrating Ukraine as well," wrote Dillon, in a letter sent to the Master's Foundation, along with the funds already collected by the school.
The Master's Foundation is an interdenominational organization that has been serving Ukraine for over three decades and provides aid in various forms to orphans, children and other people, according to the organization's website.
Plans to continue raising funds at Glendon School are already in place, and the greater community is also encouraged to participate by dropping off donations at the school's main office.
While some of the students at the K-12 school are still a bit young to understand what is happening in Eastern Europe, students in junior and senior high grades have been talking about the situation in Social Studies and Language Arts classes, and they are very aware of what is taking place, says Dillon.
For the younger students, the school has decided to celebrate the Ukrainian culture as a way to show support. The front foyer of the school has been transformed into a display filled with colourful Ukrainian pieces, for example.
"Grade 3 students painted Ukrainian flags to decorate the foyer, and the kindergarten class made hearts with hand prints in yellow and blue," describes Dillon.
During the school's winter carnival on Tuesday, Ukraine was the chosen country to represent.
More fundraising to come
Other fundraising efforts will include the sale of hot perogy meals, thanks to a contribution from the Glendon Catering Club. Meals will be sold to students sometime after Easter.
Also, on April 7 the school will be hosting its first cake auction since the pandemic shut down the annual event. The last school cake auction took place in 2019.
Funds raised through the auction are split three ways. One third is donated to a global cause, which will be humanitarian efforts in Ukraine; and one third will be donated to the Bonnyville SPCA. The last third stays within the school, to be used for various student-drive efforts and school spirit.
Since the event has not been held for two years funds are pretty low, acknowledges Dillon.
This year, the event will focus on more than auctioning off just sweet treats. The fundraiser is being re-branded as the Glendon School cake and dish auction.
"So if someone wants to make a pan of perogies, or cabbage rolls, or meat pies, or anything like that," those items can also be auctioned off to help the school raise funds, explains Dillon. Anyone interested in donating a cake or dish to the auction can contact Dillon at [email protected]
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on April 7, and the auction will begin at 7 p.m.
