Local students raised money to support the Kids Can’t Wait Radiothon by adding a colourful twist to their campaign.
The student-organized initiative, Adopt A Butterfly campaign, ran from May 15 to 19 at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Elementary School.
Students and families were asked to donate a loonie or toonie to ‘adopt’ a butterfly, paper renditions of the insect, posted around the school corridor. Donations going towards the Kids Can’t Wait Radiothon to help fund vital therapy, pediatric support, essential equipment, and assistance to families.
“The point of the project was to bring in a loonie or a toonie or more for the Kids Can’t Wait Radiothon to raise money for health care and support to families,” said Natalie P. Groves, one of the student organizers of the campaign.
Last year, KidsAbility worked with 6,318 children with special needs in Waterloo Region and Guelph-Wellington who benefit from therapy and support services, with 828 children and youth still on a waiting list for the agency’s services. The Adopt A Butterfly campaign contributed to the $191,159 raised during the radiothon event.
French teacher Mary McCullum Baldasaro, facilitator for the campaign, says KidsAbility hits home with kids.
“One of our current students and some from the past have benefited from KidsAbility programs,” said Baldasaro. “It is a very worthy local organization.”
Groves has been a consistent influencer in her school, helping out beyond the Adopt A Butterfly campaign.
“She has been active in every one of our campaigns both with the things we do locally and the things we do for the further afield things,” said Baldasaro.
The Grade 7 student has been on the schools Me to We team, an organization to empower people to transform local and global communities by shifting from “me” thinking to “we” acting, for the past three years and will be one of the team’s principal leaders next year.
Baldasaro said student-run initiatives are a great way to raise awareness with a younger generation of students, instilling a sense of community contribution early on in life.
“Natalie and the other students have been aware of it. First of all, they see the pretty butterfly but then as time goes on they make the connecting to the announcements, and the butterfly and then eventually when they are intermediate they are in a position to do something. So, yeah. it is wonderful,” said Baldasaro.
