The action at one local elementary school is going to step outside of the classroom in a big way for a special charity event next week.
The students of J.J. Nearing Catholic Elementary School will take turns playing in a 12-hour street hockey marathon for the benefit of a children’s project in Uganda.
It all started when 20 Grade 6 students went to We Day in Calgary last fall. The event is an initiative of Free the Children, the international charity that works with schools to empower youth to become socially-conscious citizens of the world.
“The whole commitment for the kids going to We Day was that they would … commit to coming back and making a difference somehow in the world,” explained Danielle Reed, former teacher at the school, now a mom of one of its students.
When her son Nolan returned, he started talking about how to pay it forward. A discussion with his grandfather provided the necessary spark for what would be a colossal undertaking.
“He decided that what he wanted to do was try to raise money for a couple of schools in Uganda – one of them has no access to water at all. They need a water tank at the school that would fill during the rainy season.”
The cost for the tank: $2,500.
Because he loves hockey and knows many of his schoolmates do too, Nolan thought that it would be a great idea to play for donations.
Every Nearing student – more than 400 of them – will have a chance to get in the game to keep it going continuously from morning until night.
“The kids are just cycling through the day. There’s a schedule and every class will come out and play 45 minutes to one hour. We’re going to throw parents in,” Reed said.
Some special guests will be joining the game as well. Former NHL players Chris Joseph and Rob Brown, along with some University of Alberta Golden Bears, will take part and sign autographs too.
The 12-hour event starts at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. J.J. Nearing is located at 196 Deer Ridge Dr.
