By Chris Lewis | May 27, 2021
These Mount Pearl teachers are trekking across the province - virtually.
Staff at O’Donel High School in Mount Pearl are doing what they can to raise money for a good cause, and are using a map of the province to do it.
Back in April, the staff were dealing with the same uncertainties faced by many in the province as the population scrambled in the face of a global pandemic.
Science teacher Joanne Power said they wanted to take on some kind of outdoor challenge. It was not uncommon for staff to go for walks on a daily basis, with some even tracking their mileage as they went along. Power said once they were introduced to the Candlelighters, the idea for a project started to blossom.
Candlelighters NL fundraises to improve the lives of children living with cancer.
After learning about the organization’s Camp Delight, Power said they knew this was where they wanted their efforts to go.
Now, the 20 or so teachers and other staff, are taking their mileage from their walks throughout the week and counting it up to see just how far they all would have gone on the map of the province. As of Friday, May 21, the group had managed to travel enough kilometres to cross the entirety of Newfoundland and to have just arrived in Labrador.
“We have a map of Newfoundland and Labrador in our main entrance, so every week our staff keep track of their kilometres, and every Saturday we tally them up,” Power said. “We started in St. John’s, and in the first week we got as far as South Brook … We’re almost in Lodge Bay now.”
Along the way, staff have been collecting funds to donate to Candlelighters NL and Camp Delight. As of Friday, they had collected around $1,900 through various fundraising efforts made by students, as well as through a direct link where people can donate directly to Candlelighters NL.
Teacher Ashley Clements noted there have been a couple of students at O’Donel who had gone through the Camp Delight program in the past, and the organization has always had a good relationship with the school; the decision to lend them a helping hand with this project was an easy one, she said.
“We really like to get involved with our community,” Clements said.
The project started on May 1, and staff hope to see it carry right on through until the end of the month, at which point they hope to have reached the other end of Labrador.
“The kids on our student council have been wanting to collect from fellow students, too. Like a loonie drive or something like that,” Clements added, noting that although there is no monetary goal with this project, they simply hope to help Candlelighters NL as much as possible.
The teachers are pleased to see such a positive reception for the project.
“It’s been fantastic, and I know everyone involved is really excited about this,” Power said. “Of course, these are much needed funds. Especially during COVID-19, when some of their fundraising opportunities have been lost because of that.”
The excitement in the project is felt across the school, with Clements adding there is usually a flock of people behind her when she goes to update the provincial map in the lobby.
Anyone looking to donate to the cause can find a direct link on the school’s website and social media platforms, where money is sent directly to Candlelighters NL.
