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This article was published 26/11/2021 (1379 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Red River Valley School Division continues to show an outpouring of support towards the legacy of Terry Fox and his foundation. Through the efforts of J.A. Cuddy School in Sanford, the foundation has received $13,528 from only 189 students.
“I want to say how proud I am of the staff and students and the thankfulness of the community to support us the way they did,” said J.A. Cuddy principal Scott Thomson.
“It isn’t anything specific that we did, it was the students and their families that ran with it. We were celebrating their success in fundraising for such a worthy cause. We’re pretty hopeful we’ll be the number one school in the province.”
In years past, the school only focused on ideas like Toonies For Terry to help fundraise for the Terry Fox Foundation. Last year, the school raised $690, a previous high at the time. For this school year, Daniel Schinkel, a phys-ed teacher at J.A. Cuddy School kick-started their three week fundraiser with a new plan of action.
“I felt like we could change it up this year and see what we could do and so some incentives came into mind,” Schinkel said.
“We started off with simple things like pajama day for the kids, longer recess outside and then we got a little creative. We started to do tape the teacher to the wall and pie the teacher in the face at $2,000. Because they reached that in the first two days we had to keep adding on for every $1,000 until we reached $7,000.”
Other incentives included Thomson kissing a goat at $4,000, a dunk tank at $5,000, the staff agreeing to walk outside in the winter in shorts, and the staff agreeing to sleep on the roof of the building on a spring night. Thomson said the students are holding them accountable for their hard work fundraising.
“I think the community embraced that and has those same feelings about Terry Fox,” Thomson said.
“The students when they learned about it, it started growing from there. It was really them that drove it, and we’d say ‘okay, our goal is $2,000, $3,000, $4,000’. Every morning on the announcements they reached their goal and we had to announce a new incentive to fundraise.”
Schinkel said the school earned $2,000 in just two days. Over the course of the three weeks, students would send in online video pledges, and go door to door to family and friends in the Sanford community with their Marathon of Hope taking place on Oct. 8.
The principal said aside from entertaining the students, the fundraising speaks to the importance of the charity, Fox’s legacy and cancer research itself.
“Cancer has touched everybody in one way or another or unfortunately will at one point,” Thomson told The Headliner.
“I think for people in my generation where we were around in school when Terry Fox was running and the impact that he’s had worldwide, it’s something that we’re proud of a Canadian that has done this.”
“It’s crazy to think about how he was such an influential Canadian,” Schinkel added.
Amelia and Naomi Wiebe-Price, sisters in Grade 5 and Grade 6 at J.A. Cuddy School, were two of the top student earners this year. Raising $420 each, the sisters were eager to do their part in representing the legacy of Terry Fox and enjoyed taping their teacher to the wall as an added bonus.
“It felt really good because I knew I was raising money for something good,” Amelia said.
“He did everything he could to try to raise money for cancer.”
“One of my friends’ mom got cancer when I was really young and also a friend I knew it got it but has survived and is coming on and off of it,” Naomi said.
“It feels really good to raise money so that people like her can hopefully get better. It was pretty fun to do some of those things but it was nice to know that we were also doing it for a good cause as well. I think we can all learn from him to do things to help people with cancer.”
The phys-ed teacher said he enjoyed taking part in the activities the school has arranged thus far, but is happy his experience with the dunk tank is over.
“The dunk tank was really cold,” Schinkel laughed.
“That whole week it was really warm, the dunk tank shows up and then it’s like three degrees and windy. It was fun though and a blast, but cold.”
The Wiebe-Price sisters are looking forward to being principal for a day as a show of gratitude from Thomson for their fundraising efforts.
The school will find out in January if it was indeed the number one earner in the province, but no matter the result was delighted to earn what they could and hopes to replicate their efforts next year.
The Red River Valley School Division continues to show an outpouring of support towards the legacy of Terry Fox and his foundation. Through the efforts of J.A. Cuddy School in Sanford, the foundation has received $13,528 from only 189 students.
“I want to say how proud I am of the staff and students and the thankfulness of the community to support us the way they did,” said J.A. Cuddy principal Scott Thomson.
JOSEPH BERNACKI
Nov. 23, 2021 - Amelia and Naomi Wiebe-Price (left), were two of the top student earners at J. A. Cuddy's Terry Fox Fundraiser. Organized by Phys.Ed. teacher Daniel Schinkel (centre) and principal Scott Thomson, the school raised $13,528 and was a huge success. (JOSEPH BERNACKI/CANSTAR COMMMUNITY NEWS/HEADLINER)
“It isn’t anything specific that we did, it was the students and their families that ran with it. We were celebrating their success in fundraising for such a worthy cause. We’re pretty hopeful we’ll be the number one school in the province.”
In years past, the school only focused on ideas like Toonies For Terry to help fundraise for the Terry Fox Foundation. Last year, the school raised $690, a previous high at the time. For this school year, Daniel Schinkel, a phys-ed teacher at J.A. Cuddy School kick-started their three week fundraiser with a new plan of action.
“I felt like we could change it up this year and see what we could do and so some incentives came into mind,” Schinkel said.
“We started off with simple things like pajama day for the kids, longer recess outside and then we got a little creative. We started to do tape the teacher to the wall and pie the teacher in the face at $2,000. Because they reached that in the first two days we had to keep adding on for every $1,000 until we reached $7,000.”
Other incentives included Thomson kissing a goat at $4,000, a dunk tank at $5,000, the staff agreeing to walk outside in the winter in shorts, and the staff agreeing to sleep on the roof of the building on a spring night. Thomson said the students are holding them accountable for their hard work fundraising.
“I think the community embraced that and has those same feelings about Terry Fox,” Thomson said.
“The students when they learned about it, it started growing from there. It was really them that drove it, and we’d say ‘okay, our goal is $2,000, $3,000, $4,000’. Every morning on the announcements they reached their goal and we had to announce a new incentive to fundraise.”
Schinkel said the school earned $2,000 in just two days. Over the course of the three weeks, students would send in online video pledges, and go door to door to family and friends in the Sanford community with their Marathon of Hope taking place on Oct. 8.
The principal said aside from entertaining the students, the fundraising speaks to the importance of the charity, Fox’s legacy and cancer research itself.
SUPPLIED
Nov. 23, 2021 - At $4,000 raised, J.A. Cuddy School principal Scott Thomson agreed to kiss a goat seen to his left. (SUPPLIED PHOTO)
“Cancer has touched everybody in one way or another or unfortunately will at one point,” Thomson told The Headliner.
“I think for people in my generation where we were around in school when Terry Fox was running and the impact that he’s had worldwide, it’s something that we’re proud of a Canadian that has done this.”
“It’s crazy to think about how he was such an influential Canadian,” Schinkel added.
Amelia and Naomi Wiebe-Price, sisters in Grade 5 and Grade 6 at J.A. Cuddy School, were two of the top student earners this year. Raising $420 each, the sisters were eager to do their part in representing the legacy of Terry Fox and enjoyed taping their teacher to the wall as an added bonus.
“It felt really good because I knew I was raising money for something good,” Amelia said.
“He did everything he could to try to raise money for cancer.”
“One of my friends’ mom got cancer when I was really young and also a friend I knew it got it but has survived and is coming on and off of it,” Naomi said.
“It feels really good to raise money so that people like her can hopefully get better. It was pretty fun to do some of those things but it was nice to know that we were also doing it for a good cause as well. I think we can all learn from him to do things to help people with cancer.”
SUPPLIED
Nov. 23, 2021 - At $5,000 raised, both Thomson and Schinkel as well as a number of teachers from J.A. Cuddy School agreed to be dunked in a dunk tank on a cold October afternoon. The event was a lot of fun for both students and teachers. (SUPPLIED PHOTO)
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The phys-ed teacher said he enjoyed taking part in the activities the school has arranged thus far, but is happy his experience with the dunk tank is over.
“The dunk tank was really cold,” Schinkel laughed.
“That whole week it was really warm, the dunk tank shows up and then it’s like three degrees and windy. It was fun though and a blast, but cold.”
The Wiebe-Price sisters are looking forward to being principal for a day as a show of gratitude from Thomson for their fundraising efforts.
The school will find out in January if it was indeed the number one earner in the province, but no matter the result was delighted to earn what they could and hopes to replicate their efforts next year.
