A class of Grade 12 Stelly’s students are holding a gala this month to raise funds for a women’s shelter they’ve been building in Nepal.
The Stelly’s Global Perspectives class will travel to Nepal in the spring of 2014 to put the finishing touches on a women’s shelter the school has been constructing for the past three years.
“A lot of it has already been constructed so we’ll be adding the finishing touches like a water line and an area to house a daycare centre,” explained Grade 12 student Odessa Cheeke.
The Global Perspectives program is a two-year program which students start in Grade 11, Cheeke explained.
“In the first year of the program we focus on local issues and volunteer in places like soup kitchens, food banks and homeless shelters. In Grade 12, the group travels abroad to help an international cause.”
Over the years Global Perspectives classes have traveled to countries like Haiti, Belize, Cuba and Peru to build things like cancer clinics, shelters for women and children and schools.
Over spring break next year 28 students from Tim Storm’s Grade 12 Global Perspectives class will travel to Nepal for 17 days to help finish the women’s shelter classes before them started.
To do that, they need to raise some serious cash.
“We’re hosting our Global Gala Fundraiser this month and we’re hoping to raise a minimum of $20,000,” Cheeke said, adding the group began collecting donations of cash and are also looking for silent auction items for the Nov. 21 event.
“Lots of local businesses have donated to us and there’s going to be tons of prizes to bid on, as well as a live auction and live music,” said Cheeke.
The prizes will include things like spa getaways, hotel stays and gift baskets, but the class is still looking for more donations for the event that happens Nov. 21 from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. at the school.
For details or to donate, email odessa@shaw.ca or tstorm@sd63.bc.ca.