The viral video about war criminal Joseph Kony inspired Algonquin Public School students to take a stand of their own.
Brittney Cournoyer, a Grade 7 student at Algonquin, heard about the video from a fellow classmate a few months ago. She and other students wanted to do something to help children living in third world conditions like those in Uganda. They chose to raise money for War Child Canada because of its organization’s reputation to directly support humanitarian programs.
Brittney, along with Tessa Maki and Geordyan Kopanski, made a presentation at city council on Monday and asked for help on ways they could raise money.
Council throughout some ideas as hosting a sporting event or preparing a presentation for the Lakehead Public Schools Board and asked if there were any event organizers that could help with their efforts. When the girls finished, every councillor donated some money to the War Child organization.
Brittney said she was nervous going in front of city council but felt passionate enough about the cause to go in front of them. She said it bothered her to hear about what Kony was doing to destroy all the children’s lives and she wanted to do something to stop it.
“We’re kind of hoping to hold a fundraiser and once we do that maybe it can help to make a difference,” Brittney said. “We were trying to see if city council would help us donate money to help us.”
Brittney’s teacher Cindy Spackman said the idea to go to council evolved over a period of time after it was suggested by Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs during a visit but she stressed that the initiative was all done by the students and she had little involvement in it.
She said she was proud of all their efforts.
“I had very little to do with this because there’s a whole other group in the class that is not as involved,” Spackman said. “They looked up how to do a deputation, how to get the city clerk, write the letter and send it. Whether the city helps us with an event or not, what these three ladies have earned in my view is a credit already in their Grade 10 civics class.”
