Sisler High School: keeping cool during a disaster

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This article was published 27/04/2011 (5466 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sisler High School has earned a reputation as a place to turn to in times of a crisis.

Students and staff at the North End school recently raised more than $3,000 for Red Cross relief efforts in Japan to help that country dig itself out following a disastrous tsunami earlier this year.

It is the third major fundraiser the school has conducted this past year, following similar efforts on behalf of Haiti and Pakistan.

Sisler teacher Orysya Petryshyn said organizers had high hopes for the most recent fundraising efforts after noting the number of students who signed up to help was nearly double from the previous two campaigns.

“This time we had more than 40 students come out and help and many students were beating some of our staff to the punch,” she said.

Grade 12 student Rozette Mallari, who helped organize the fundraising efforts with fellow senior Gurpreet Chahal, said when Sisler students saw images of the tsunami destruction in Japan earlier this year, plans were made to sell T-shirts, set up collection jars throughout the school and create more than 1,000 individual origami crane art pieces to help raise awareness and money.

Sisler student council co-president Akiola Loyis said the fundraising efforts do more than just raise money for a good cause.

“It’s another way for the school to come together,” he said.

Petryshyn said the school’s ongoing support for international causes speaks to the diversity of the student population.

“I think with so many different backgrounds of students it really does make it easier to look beyond our immediate world,” she said.

Loyis said she would like to see more schools match Sisler’s efforts to help the global community.

“Why not look at some challenges?”

Even though some of the students involved in this year’s efforts will soon graduate, Chahal expects returning students will help pick up the slack the next time help is needed.

rob.brown@canstarnews.com