Clubs to raise funds at Whatever Sale

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This article was published 11/03/2019 (2708 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two clubs at West Kildonan Collegiate have been helping students increase their confidence and become more comfortable with things that often make them uneasy.

The Zoology Club and the Wolverine Club Volleyball are two self-funded programs which have been pulling strings to keep it running. Their annual Whatever Sale has been the primary fundraiser and has been helping both programs cover their costs.

Krysta Pooley, a WKC science and biology teacher who also runs the Zoology Club has been organizing this fundraiser for three years and said the support is crucial to keep the clubs running.

“There’s a pretty significant cost with the clubs such as certain foods for the animals, equipment for their tanks, heat lights, entry fees, uniforms, replacement volleyballs,” she said, adding the Zoology Club grows some salad greens to feed the animals.

At the Zoology Club, students learn how to take proper care of geckos, lizards, snakes, amphibians, and small mammals and feed them during lunch. Pooley’s primary goal with the club is to dispel fears and get the kids comfortable both with the animals and public speaking. She takes students to do presentations at elementary and middle schools and at community events.

Grade 11 student Obaid Maksood said he joined Pooley’s biology class and the Zoology Club on purpose to get over the fear of animals.

“When I came here in Grade 9, I didn’t even want to step into this classroom because I heard there were snakes and reptiles and I was fearful of them — and they are common fears,” he said. “I came here thinking that all snakes are poisonous and she showed me that they are not… as she educated us more about them, I was able to even hold one of them. I never thought I would hold one.”

Pooley has 15 regular students, but sometimes the club has more than 30 students feeding and interacting with the reptiles. Her club has developed such a reputation that students bring her their own animals so that she can rehabilitate them.

“I had students who have had animals that were very aggressive and were biting, or they weren’t eating, and they asked if I could help them, and they’d bring the animal here for a few weeks and get the students to feel more comfortable with them, and then they take their animal home,” she said.

Likewise, the Wolverines Club Volleyball program run by teacher Mikki Grouette also helps students develop their skills and confidence. It serves as an extra season of skill acquisition, strategy and positioning. They have multiple age class teams (15U, 16U, and 17U) for both boys and girls entering and hosting tournaments due to the fact there is no league. The club system is for development, and there are no cuts.

Whatever Sale takes place on April 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at WKC’s gym (101 Ridgecrest Ave.). Admission is free, and there will be a silent auction and the community will have the opportunity to interact with some of the 23 animals they have at the school. They have approximately 75 tables booked for garage sale items, crafts, and baking. Each table is $20 and can be reserved by contacting Pooley at krystapooley@gmail.com