Thousands of Grande Prairie area students have packed Revolution Place for the second ever Mighty Peace Day.
They’ll hear from internationally renowned speakers throughout the day, along with several band performances.
Free The Children co-founder Craig Kielburger is one of the speakers, and hopes those in attendance come away with a passion to make a difference.
“When you fill an arena like today with Mighty Peace Day and see thousands and thousands of young people who are cheering for causes, for the young people that leaves an impression and the knowledge that they can make a difference and they’re not alone, and that it’s even cool to care.”
The event is modeled after We Day, an initiative of Free The Children, aimed at empowering a generation of youth.
Instead of buying tickets to the event, the youth had to earn their way through volunteering and raising funds to make a change in the world.
Kielburger says he often hears about communities wanting to create their own mini version, but none are as special as Grande Prairie’s.
“No where else in Canada have we seen a community that has organized their own stadium-size celebration with kids who’ve earned their way through service, like in Peace Country. The fact that they’re doing it again shows that commitment is so amazing.”
The key to keeping the motivation going after Mighty Peace Day is support from family and friends, committing to a cause and making volunteering for it a part of their regular schedule.
The first Mighty Peace Day was held in October 2013 with more than 3,000 youth in attendance.