Students at Delta's South Park Elementary recently gathered in their school gymnasium to find out how much money they raised to help children struggling with cancer.
The school fundraised for Cops for Cancer, participating in a wide variety of initiatives, such as a draw to win a day as a Delta Police officer and selling duct tape to tape their principals and teachers to the wall.
All of their efforts paid off in a big way – the school raised $6333.80 in support of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Camp Goodtimes program – a camp for children fighting cancer.
“It’s really amazing what you’ve done,” said Nolan McLeod, a former South Park student and cancer survivor who has been to Camp Goodtimes. “It really makes a positive difference to the kids at Camp Goodtimes.”
Const. Dave Ogilvy of the Delta Police was on hand at the school to thank the students for their outstanding support for Cops for Cancer.
Cops for Cancer is an annual event that takes place each fall, when more than 100 law enforcement and emergency services personnel from across the province brave all types of weather and daunting terrain as they cycle for up to two weeks. The Tour de Valley team rides from Delta to Boston Bar and back – a nine-day 800-kilometre bike ride.
“Along the way we hurt, and it would be easy to complain. But kids fighting cancer do not get to quit, so we don’t either. We are riding for them,” Ogilvy told the students.
As part of the school assembly, the students duct-taped the principal, vice-principal and two of their teachers to the wall (above). The energy in the room was palpable as the bench was pulled-out from under their feet and they hung, stuck to the wall, in front of all of the giggling students.
At the end of the assembly, student Teagan Gretsinger was adorned with a Delta Police vest and helmet. Via her donations to Cops for Cancer, she won the opportunity to spend a day with school liaison officer. Const. Mike Atkinson. As a result she was able to check out his police car, turn on the sirens, visit police dispatch, and meet with the staff at Delta Police headquarters.
Overall, the Cops for Cancer fundraising initiative at South Park Elementary was a tremendous success.