Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools will be collecting donations for the next week to help fill what they’re calling an Easter Basket for Ukraine.
The fundraiser will allow for parents and families to buy gift packs of food, toiletries, and various other items shipped to Ukraine, which will then be shipped to Ukraine to a catholic church that is currently being used as a shelter by hundreds of families near Lviv.
Fundraiser Organizer and Grade 5 teacher at St. Catherine Catholic School Bily Coburn says she had originally just asked a handful of schools to take part, but after discussions with Superintendent Dr. Jessie Shirley, the Easter Basket fundraiser will be spread throughout the catholic school division’s sizeable reach.
“We are a community in our school board, and she said [she was] absolutely on board, we had to figure out a few little financial aspects, and then off we go,” she says.
“I don’t like when people are in need, and treated like this, I wanted to see if I could make a difference, and our community make a difference.”
Coburn says she spearheaded a similar, fundraiser with students in her St. Catherine’s Grade 3 class, and is hoping the same excitement will not only be felt by those who are receiving the donations but those who give as well.
“We made these bags for kids in need, and they were delivered and it was so nice for kids to see their items in the hands of those kids in Ukraine,” she says.
“We had this big presentation in our school and we had videos and photos that the father had sent me.”
You can find more information on the Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools website, the fundraiser will be open until April 14th.