Students Run Terry Fox Fundraiser

Leadership and friendly competition between homerooms have helped LaSalle Community Comprehensive High School (LCCHS) students to raise $8000 for the school’s Terry Fox Run. It was also a good opportunity for the students to showcase the skills they have learned through the International Baccalaureate and Leadership programs offered by the school.
Every September, schools and communities throughout Canada celebrate and honor the memory of one the country’s greatest legends, Terry Fox. The young man inspired the nation as he jogged across Canada to raise cancer awareness after losing a leg to the disease.
The LCCHS has participated in this event for many years with all proceeds given to the Terry Fox Foundation. Up to this year, over $100,000 has been raised. Last Friday, the entire school ran along the bike path to LaSalle Drive-In and back along with the entire staff.
Teacher Jennifer Beaudoin has been the Team Leader of the event for the last two years. « It’s a great event to celebrate the pride we have in our school and showcase how we are a community centered school always ready and willing to do what we can for our society. And what better cause than the Terry Fox Foundation! »

To prepare, daily pledge collections are taken in homerooms. The student who raises the most funds gets a gift card, the homeroom that pledges the most gets a pizza lunch and if the total raised is $500 more than the previous year, the entire school gets a dress down day.

Leadership in action

Beaudoin was helped by some senior students who are taking a Leadership option course. It is a three credit course where they learn what it takes to be a leader, to have a serving heart, develop communication abilities, plan events from start to finish all year and then reflect on their process.
At the end of Secondary Five, a few graduating students are awarded with Silver Wolf trophies for academics, sports and community service.
« It has been fun but also hard. Each day we visited homerooms talking about the event and telling the students the importance of cancer research. » Kiara, a student, explained.
Beaudoin, herself a Silver Wolf winning alumni of LCCHS, believes the Terry Fox Run is an ideal event to teach children valuable lessons. That a true education is holistic and community centered and that it helps to build the community leaders of the future.