Students on the streets

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

Kings County Register

Students at Landmark East are out knocking on doors.

The other evening, Laura Trenholm collected $110 going from stoop to stoop.

Anna Delong, who commutes to the Wolfville school from New Germany, says people in are friendly and generous because they support and are aware of the school.

Last year, when Meghan Smith went collecting, she met a woman who brought her cat on the walkathon.

"She came and walked her cat on a leash. She was sweet."

For Jeremy Lyons of Montreal, canvassing the town is an opportunity to meet "generally nice, friendly people and explore Wolfville."

Kai Fritz-Watson, who hails from Wisconsin, says his parents brought him up to volunteer and do community work.

"My parents donate. They've always done it. We don't mind asking for help because we're being helped."

Erica Leseur says even her parents, home in Bermuda, are busy collecting funds.

September 30 is the date of this year’s walkathon, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Students have great incentive as they canvass this year, says development officer Rose Spicer.

"The school’s fall fundraiser is in support of the Bursary Endowment Fund," she says. "The big story this year is a multiple matching opportunity: every $1 raised translates into a $4.50 donation. It promises to be a very fast moving September sponsor drive, with high hopes for another record breaking event.”

Two couples - Marsha and Paul Sobey of New Glasgow and Steve and Kathy Smith of Antigonish - are contributing $30,000 in matching dollars. The Florida–based Johnson Scholarship Foundation is pitching in an additional 50 cents on every dollar raised.

The event has enjoyed a ground swell of support, raising a little over $14,000 the first year (2003) and growing steadily to $60,000 last year.

The supervised neighbourhood sponsor drive takes place in the evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“Many of these volunteers are international students,” Spicer says. “They are brand new to the school and, often, the canvassing activity is their first encounter with the Wolfville community. The young people report plenty of positive feedback.”

Canvassing also takes place in Valley communities - and beyone - as day students, alumni, staff, board members and their families get involved.

MLA Morse: ‘education is about students’

A government side MLA from Kings County has gone on record in support of Landmark East School in Wolfville and a threatened tuition support program.

Kings South MLA David Morse said recently he has every confidence the program has a future. He noted at the annual general meeting of the provincial Tory party tuition support received overwhelming support.

In fact, said Morse, the party endorsed the program and indicated further enhancements should be considered. Despite the recommendation of the select committee, he said, he plans to urge the education minister to make tuition support more accessible.

"We have to remember," he said, "that education is about students."

In March of this year, finance minister Cecil Clarke told the legislature the government had a commitment to "supporting families whose children have specific needs that cannot be met within the regular school system."

The province is also allocating $350,000, Clarke said, to provide funding for a permanent third year of tuition support. This program enables students to benefit from specialized expertise available at a designated school for up to three years.