THE
NEWSPAPER.COM
COMMUNITY
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012
A13
Send your story ideas or photo submissions to ‘Now’ editor Beau Simpson at edit@thenownewspaper.com
Tamanawis Secondary
Special dinner served at school for 15 years Jacob Zinn
Now contributor Twitter @jacobzinn
About 200 students at Tamanawis Secondary are gearing up to feed 330 hungry residents on Tuesday night at their 15th annual Christmas Community Dinner. Students from two Leadership 10 classes have been getting everything ready for the event, which helps feed low-income families and also provides toys and entertainment free of charge. They will hold two sittings, one at 5 p.m. and the other at 6:30 p.m. To date, the dinner has fed more than 4,300 Surrey citizens. “Essentially, we start mid-October,” said Julie Do, the student in charge of promotions. “The entire class works on this until the actual dinner. Everything is busy up until the date.” Within the two Leadership classes, the Grade 10 students divide up the responsibilities for promoting the dinner, purchasing the food, finding the live entertainment and gathering the toys. They have been actively lobbying
Tamanawis Secondary students Anna Aujla, Elam Arora, Jasmeet Dhesi and Deep Dhot prepare gifts for a dinner they’re hosting for low-income families. (Photo: KEVIN HILL) local businesses for donations and have recruited 87 sponsors, including the Peace Arch-White Rock Rotary Club, Real Canadian Superstore, Home Depot and Mr. Mike’s Steakhouse.
“The great thing about it is it’s totally student led,” said McCallum. “Myself and the other Leadership teacher, we basically stand back and our whole objective is to be pretty much invisible for the night.
“My Leadership class runs it, but the culinary arts does all the cooking and then we have a dance team, slam poetry team, the choir, the jazz band – everyone puts this huge night on.” Students at Tamanawis and surrounding elementary schools held toy drives to collect thousands of stuffed animals, gadgets and games for children. Santa Claus will give out the toys and kids can even get their photo taken with St. Nick, courtesy of the school’s photography class. The purpose of the dinner is to show others that they can organize these types of events to help the less fortunate in their neighbourhoods. “Our goal is to spread awareness that other groups can do what we’re doing for our community,” said Do. McCallum added that, through organizing the community dinner, the students are becoming more responsible and mature while also learning the true meaning of Christmas. “They’re starting to get it now, but after the night, they’ll understand how much more valuable and rewarding it is to give as opposed to receive,” he said.
jacobzinn@gmail.com
Dirt flies in Surrey schoolyard for hospital fundraiser Christopher Poon
Now contributor Twitter @questionchris
The grounds of Hillcrest Elementary school were a flurry of activity recently as children from all grades took to the earth with shovels, hoes and spades for a new fundraising effort benefiting the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation. Called the One Loonie, One Tulip, One Child campaign, the initiative was started by Hillcrest teacher/librarian
Bonnie Chapman and consists of students purchasing tulip bulbs at the cost of $1 each, and then planting them somewhere around the school. All money raised goes to benefit SMH’s new Critical Care Tower. According to Kim St. Pierre, manager of donor relations for the SMH Foundation, students at Hillcrest raised around $600 for the initiative. Once the bulbs arrived, students took to the grounds to begin planting all around the school. “This is just fantastic to see the kids
outside, they’re so high-energy and the dirt and tulip bulbs flying everywhere and it’s just such a great cause,” said St. Pierre. “I can’t wait to see the tulips come up in the springtime.” The flowers in question, Princess Irene Tulips, will bloom in the spring in a vibrant orange colour. “We wanted to do something to involve the kids in not only environmental awareness, but also social responsibility, so this year it was planting tulips to support the hospital and also beautifies
the school,” said Hillcrest vice-principal Tom Lewis. “And we’ve also been working with the city to get a green grant to beautify this strip of land, which is actually city property and do some sort of butterfly-friendly planting.” For Grade 2 student Jack, the chance to get outside and do something to help others was nothing but “fun.” “We’re planting tulip bulbs because we want to have beautiful tulips,” he said. “It brings joy to the hospital people.”
cpoon@thenownewspaper.com
THIS IS THE ULTRA SALE CITY CENTRE STUDIOS $399/MONTH* - FROM $186,900 | CITY CENTRE 1 BDRMS $599/MONTH* - FROM $255,900
DEVELOPED BY
*BASED ON TWO-YEAR TERM. SEE AGENT FOR FULL DETAILS. PRICES AND INCENTIVES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. E.&E.O.
112212
LIVEATULTRA.COM | SALE ENDS DECEMBER 10 | 604.588.6999 | 10345 133A STREET, SURREY | OPEN DAILY 11 - 6 PM