Those kids sure know how to fundraise.
We’re talking about the students at Blenheim District High School (BDHS), who recently held their own Relay for Life event to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society.
The event raised more than $18,000.
That’s more than double their original target of $8,000 through a full day of activities focused on leadership, connection, and community support.
Led by students in Pete Kistulinec’s Grade 12 leadership class, the event was student-driven from start to finish. The students planned, promoted, organized, executed, and tracked every aspect of the event, with guidance from two staff members.
The day began at 7 a.m. with setup and continued through 7:30 p.m. cleanup, with students participating in games, activities, shared meals, laps around the track, and meaningful moments of reflection throughout the day.
Heads were shaved in solidarity, stories were shared, and memories were made – all in support of cancer research and those impacted by cancer.
“This massive undertaking was entirely student-led, and the results speak for themselves,” said principal Elsa Natvik, in a media release. “As Principal of BDHS, I could not be more proud of our students for their incredible work on this year’s Relay for Life event, which holds a special place in my heart as the last major event of my principalship at BDHS.”
Natvik noted that the event’s success reflects years of intentional focus on student leadership development at BDHS.
“Four years ago, the BDHS school council made developing student leadership a top priority after recognizing a gap in real-world leadership opportunities for students during the COVID restrictions,” she said. “Since implementing that vision, BDHS has offered two Grade 12 leadership classes per year, empowering students to take on large-scale, impactful projects, and this Relay for Life was the students’ proud choice for their main class event.”
Natvik added that surpassing the fundraising goal so dramatically was a testament both to student dedication and to the strength of the BDHS community.
“Seeing our students demonstrate the robust leadership skills they have cultivated throughout the semester was truly inspiring, especially as they blew their initial $8,000 goal completely out of the water to fundraise an astonishing $18,000,” she said.
