THUNDER BAY – Students at Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute joined forces to help make Christmas a little brighter for 70 families.
Together they pitched in and help build 70 hardwood doll cribs, decorating them colorfully with iconic characters like Calvin and Hobbes and Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie or cuddly cartoon depictions of panda bears, sheep and even a fun-loving snake.
The cribs will be turned over to the Christmas Cheer campaign and delivered to youngsters in need around Thunder Bay.
It’s a great feeling to be involved, said Grade 11 student Paul Brown.
“I had a lot of fun working on them,” said the 17-year-old Brown, who helped cut out the pieces and sanded them down.
“It was a lot of fun and I’m glad that these cribs get to go to kids that don’t have a whole lot.”
That’s what the Christmas season is all about.
“I personally I feel have more than enough, but it’s not fair for people who don’t have enough. I feel special and honoured to be able to give cribs to people who don’t have them,” Brown said.
Classmate Matthew Whatley, 16, said it was a pretty cool project.
“A lot of time and effort went into these and I’m very glad I got to be a part of it,” Whatley said. “It’s just such a nice feeling and experience to be able to build something that goes to a great charity organization such as Christmas Cheer.
“It’s nice to see that something that we can do in school that follows what we’re learning can be used to give to people who need help and who don’t have a lot.”
The project has been in place for a number of years at the north-side high school, though teacher Rob Dasey says he tries to change up the template each year.
The build took two of his classes approximately a month to complete, with the assistance of two other classes who helped with the finishing touches.
Each crib also comes with a stuffed animal or handmade knitted doll.
“It started off I think I did 20 and it’s grown through the years,” Dacey said. “It just keeps increasing.”
In addition to helping out the less fortunate, it’s also a great learning experience for the teens who work on the project, he said.
