Future Shop is determined that the future will not only live here in Surrey, it will grow for years to come.
As a legacy of this year's BC Sumer Games – hosted by the City of Surrey July 19-22 – Future Shop, official sponsor of the Games' media hub, has donated more than $60,000 worth of Nikon cameras and Apple computer equipment to launch a digital documentation program at Sullivan Heights Secondary School.
The digital cameras will be used by 18 student volunteers in Grades 10 to 12 to document the Games. The students will also earn high school credits for their volunteer work.
An additional 12 teens will be working with the computers to manage the thousands of images.
The students' work will be posted online at surreyleader.com (under the red BC Games tab near the top of the site) as events unfold throughout the weekend.
"We are thrilled that Future Shop is supporting our students by providing the equipment to learn skills and photography and editing with professional guidance from The Surrey Leader," said Surrey Board of Education Chair Laurae McNally. "And our students will continue to benefit after the Games. With their commitment, Future Shop is clearly helping our students."
The idea was clearly one Future Shop felt strongly about from the beginning.
"We were struck by how innovative the concept was, bringing students from across the district and partnering them up with local professionals, and offering a summer school course where they could capture one of the biggest events this city has seen," said Future Shop Community Relations Manager Andrea Farnell.
"However, what really excited us was the legacy and how this donation will continue to help Surrey students in the future."
Following the Games, the equipment will be distributed among 14 schools in Surrey, allowing the donation to benefit as many students as possible.
For more information about this weekend's BC Summer Games, visit http://2012bcsummergames.ca