Fifty students from A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in Kanata travelled to CFB Petawawa, December 4, to visit with deploying soldiers from 2 Combat Engineer Regiment (2 CER), and to present them with 150 Tim Hortons gift certificates to take to Afghanistan in the summer of 2008.
The students of the Grade 11 Marketing class and the Grade 10 Business class worked hard to create flyers and a commercial to advertise this fundraiser. The total amount raised from the sale of merchandise and coffee and donuts for troop’s was $2092.00 by A.Y. Jackson’s staff and students. From the coffee and donuts fundraiser alone, the school raised $266, which was topped up by Tim Horton’s to $300 for 150 soldiers.
They sold “Support our Troops” merchandise through the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency (CFPSA) in their school and community, and a few students also produced a four-minute video to help sell the products and raise awareness of the hardships soldiers and their families face during a deployment.
“The students have worked very hard on this project and wanted to present the soldiers with a little piece of home,” said business teacher, Cathy Belanger. “They were very excited to visit the base, but more importantly, to meet the soldiers who represent their country.”
Through their sales under the Support our Troops Program, the students were able to raise over $2 066 in profits and presented a cheque to CANEX, who will redistribute 100 percent of the monies to bases across Canada.
Their video helped them to also raise enough money to present the deploying soldiers of 2 CER with the Tim Hortons gift certificates.
The CFPSA (Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency) and CANEX in Petawawa were thrilled to have A.Y.’s support. Lisa Nudelman of the CANEX organization was so impressed by the students’ commercial that she sent it on to Don Cherry and General Hillier.
The students and faculty members were also surprised when the Tim Horton’s Foundation bus offered a free ride to and from their destination.
Lieutenant-Colonel Bill Moore, CFB Petawawa base commander, was in attendance at the presentation ceremony. “I am very impressed by the initiative from these students. Our base embraces all opportunities that develop relationships with the surrounding communities. This was an incredible chance for these high school students to interact with soldiers, not much older than themselves, who are training for deployment to Afghanistan.”
Upon the students arrival, they were greeted with a tour of the unit; learned about the engineering equipment used in Afghanistan and shared lunch with the deploying soldiers.
A BIG HUA to the Staff and Students at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in Kanata .. for giving our troops (preparing to deploy shortly) a taste of home while overseas. Thank you!
Not only were the students impressed with the trip, but they also have the chance to write letters to the troops in Kandahar to remind them that people are thinking of them and to stay strong.
Canadians can now purchase official Support Our Troops t-shirts and ball caps at Sears Canada, with two dollars from each purchase going back to morale and welfare programs for CF members and their families.
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