It was a celebration like no other, complete with goats, green hair, and a school-wide synchronized dance to celebrate the smashing of a goal to collect 1,000 lbs. of food for the local food bank.
Glen Avon School had signed up for a Christmas Convoy to collect food for local food banks, explained Stephanie Dargis, who works at the school. The school has done the food drive in previous years and decided to pick it up again this year, she explained. “The kids at GA are very generous and they have loving hearts and they’re always willing to help out. We heard our food banks were in need and we tried to do our best and we ended with a ‘Wow!’”
At an assembly on Dec. 9, the kids gathered to see the results of their food drive. Although the goal was set at 1,000 lbs of food, the curtains on stage opened up to reveal about 4,300 lbs. of food, something that drew a loud, appreciative “Woah!” from the kids.
“I am so proud of you,” Dargis told the students, who responded with thunderous applause. But the kids got even louder when they got their reward. In exchange for meeting the goal, school staff had agreed to do a few eyebrow raising things, with Assistant Principal Ryan Pashko getting the ball rolling by getting his hair dyed green. Fellow Assistant Principal Jackie MacDonald kicked it up a notch, bringing in a triplet set of goats and sharing kisses with each of the reluctant mammals.
Principal Debbie Thorne had the last moment in the spotlight though, with a special surprise presentation. Dressed up as a snowman, she came out on stage with a dance to Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling. She then got the celebration truly going by leading the kids in a dance to the song. Soon the entire gym was a throbbing mass filled with the voices of kids singing, clapping, and rushing up to overflow the stage and dance with their principal.
Renee Frechette works at the Bonnyville-based radio station, the Wolf, and helped coordinate the station’s annual Wolf’s Christmas Convoy. The food collected each year goes to each community’s local food bank and is delivered to each location with the help of B & R Eckel’s Transport Ltd., she said.
Local food drives were successful, she noted; in addition to Glen Avon School’s drive, donations at Elk Point Co-op’s resulted in 3,000 lbs of food collected, while St. Paul and District Co-op added another 1,400 lbs of food to the mix.
The result of the Glen Avon School students’ work was one that was truly touching for the school’s principal, Debbie Thorne, who, in a wavering voice, expressed her appreciation at the assembly. “I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for their incredible show of kindness, empathy and concern for your fellow man in your community.”
