The Olds High School leadership group found themselves $7,500 richer after this year's third Annual Spring Fling community fundraiser, held at the Cow Palace last Thursday evening (April 20).
The baseball-themed event ended up raising $15,000 after selling 150 tickets instead of the anticipated 100. The profits were split between three local charities, who each made a "pitch" to the audience in a bid to earn votes.
After a beef dinner cooked up courtesy of Olds Co-op staff, and a keynote address by hometown fave, Olympic wrestler Danielle Lappage, Spring Fling attendees had the chance to cast ballots for their favourite pitch.
The charity earning the most votes took home 50 per cent of the funds raised, while the other two split the remainder - a healthy $3,750 each for Padnoma Support Services and Habitat for Humanity.
Spring Fling organizer Tracy Gardner said that after this year's iteration, they will have awarded almost $80,000 to eight charities in just three years.
"We do that completely and solely based on the contributions from the people in our community, because we know that 100 per cent of the ticket sales go to our charities," said Gardner. "And those charities have been some of the most inspiring and worthwhile groups of people doing the most inspiring and worthwhile things."
Padnoma Support Services made the first pitch of the evening, in support of expanding the grocery delivery service, via a live country song performance. The group is planning to purchase a vehicle for their service, which can be used by anyone in the community. A few softballs launched into the crowd gave one lucky fielder a chance to try the service for free.
Up second was Habitat for Humanity, which encouraged people to volunteer time and skills for their upcoming build across the tracks in east Olds.
"It was a huge success. The financial donation, (we are) so grateful for," said Amy Christiansen, family services chair of the Mountain View County chapter of Habitat For Humanity. "But watching people just step up and come forward and say ëI would love to help, what can I do?' That's been so well received."
With land donated by the town, and a family selected, Christiansen said they are now looking for a project manager. If all goes well, she hopes they'll be able to put a shovel in the ground by June and complete the house in four to six months.
Last up, the OHS leadership team made a fiery entrance, carrying sparklers and handing out T-shirts that read "Be Kind. Just Because."
The shirts are a big part of what the group plans to do with some of their winnings. They want to bring a new tradition to OHS: every staff and student will be outfitted with one of the T-shirts, and each year, new students will also receive one. On any given day, any number of students might be wearing the shirts - just because.
"Our whole driving force behind it was that out of a school of 500 kids, if two kids on the same day are wearing this T-shirt, it will form a sense of involvement and engagement," said Abbey Iversen, a Grade 12 leadership student who took the stage to make the pitch. "And it will make kids feel like 'I belong here, and this is a safe place for me.'"
OHS leadership teacher Luann Statchuk got the idea from another school in Saskatchewan, and says that it creates a tangible reminder for people to be kind to each other. Moreover, she said, many students aren't part of a sports team or a club. The leadership group wants to spread the idea that the entire school is the club, and everyone belongs.
"This is their community, this is the team, they are a part of Olds High," said Statchuk.
Carter Cissell, a former OHS leadership class grad, said one of the great things about the evening was seeing who each of the three groups help within the community, and how they each appeal to different needs.
"I think that the great opportunity with Olds leadership is that it can appeal to such a large number of people," said Cissell who is studying business at Western University.
"It may not have the humanitarian appeal (of) some of these other charities," he said. "But what we offer is that opportunity to build the individual from the ground up."
"Down the road these are the people that can take on greater projects within Olds and really wherever they want to find themselves in life."
Iversen summed it up succinctly.
"The main thing is that leadership, they help the school, which in (turn) helps the community," she said.
Iversen said that over her year with the group, she's learned that leadership does a lot of behind-the-scenes work that often goes unnoticed. Case in point, the OHS leadership team was the last to leave the third Annual Spring Fling. Not because they were busy accepting accolades, but because they were cleaning up.
"It just shows that we are a deeper meaning to leadership than just pep rallies."
"Those charities have been some of the most inspiring and worthwhile groups of people doing the most inspiring and worthwhile things."TRACY GARDNER CO-CHAIR SPRING FLING ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
