A pair of Deer Meadow students are planning an event where students will take pledges to stay up all night in support of Wounded Warriors Canada.
The event is called a Lock In, a wake-a-thon planned by Riley Chopko and Noah Korver, both Grade 8 students.
"The entire idea of the Lock In was to get kids to stay up all night while having a bit of fun ... and give back to Wounded Warriors Canada. It's a phenomenal organization that's dedicated to helping our veterans who've lost limbs or lives for our country and to give back," says Chopko.
Both students are enrolled in Sandi Hoppins' leadership and interact classes, where they've been tasked with fundraising a cause that's meaningful to them.
Chopko says Wounded Warriors Canada was something they wanted to support because of the sacrifices by military personnel.
"These people go and fight for our country and many have lost limbs. And they can't afford to pay their bills anymore. So it's a way of giving back," he says.
The organization also assists veterans, first responders and their families. A number of services are offered, including PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) support, funding to access mental health professionals, scholarships for military families and assistance for the transition to civilian life.
There are 80 students who've taken pledges. Some have raised hundreds of dollars, Chopko says.
"It's really helped jump-start this cause," he says.
Hoppins says they've also been searching for a local business to match donations.
Chopko and Korver have been planning the event since October, with activities like dodgeball, board and video games, and movies to get them through the night.
But as this is a learning exercise for them, not everything has worked according to plan. Originally, the event date was supposed to be on Nov. 9. But they didn't find enough volunteers to chaperone participants. They're still working on finding a day.
Hoppins says sometimes more can be gleaned from failures than successes and while students were disappointed at having to postpone the event, Chopko has gained insight into what it takes to host a fundraiser.
"You can't go all willy-nilly and say you'll do this, you'll do this, you'll do this," he says. "We really weren't that organized. We need to talk more as a group collectively. We need to ask for more help. We needed more time."
That help he's asking from the community is this: either to donate directly to Wounded Warriors, or volunteer as a chaperone – all that takes is a criminal record, vulnerable sectors check.
"These people go and fight for our country and many have lost limbs. And they can't afford to pay their bills anymore. So it's a way of giving back." RILEY CHOPKO
