Vaughan elementary students help buy 145 dairy goats

YorkRegion.com
Feb. 5, 2015
By Adam Martin-Robbins

A local elementary school delivered a “mind-blowing” donation to an international charity last week.

Julliard Public School, which has 720 students, raised $7,300 in two months for Free the Children’s We Create Change program.

Sudhershi Kularatnam, an educational program coordinator with Free the Children, was at the French immersion school last Friday morning to make a brief presentation and accept the cheque.

Kularatnam who works with about 265 schools across the province said she’s never seen a school raise so much money in such a short period of time.

“You have blown my mind,” she told the students.

The money will go to buy about 145 dairy goats, which cost about $50 each, for families in Kenya.

A single dairy goat can produce up to 16 cups of milk a day, which can provide much needed nutrition or additional income to help a family pay for school fees or medicine, according to Free the Children’s website.

And a breeding goat can be used to develop a herd.

Grade 8 student Alessio Pellegrino spearheaded the fundraising drive.

He was motivated to take action back in the fall after attending We Day, Free the Children’s massive annual event aimed at inspiring youth to take action to bring about social change.

“I thought the goats were really cool and that only $50 can save a family and help them forever,” he said. “The idea of helping someone out there for just $50 is really inspiring.”

Pellegrino repeatedly asked one of his teachers to help him launch a fundraiser at the school.

It finally got off the ground in December with the support of the school’s social justice group, known as The Julliard Justice League.

The initial goal was to raise $1,500, enough to buy 30 goats or one per classroom, but it quickly snowballed and that goal was surpassed.

The organizers raised the bar, setting a target of 100 goats.

That goal was shattered too as students donated their allowance and birthday money and asked family and friends to chip in, according to teacher Susan Starcevic.

They also sold hot chocolate and coffee at the school’s Family Movie Night and held a cookie fundraiser.

“I honestly didn’t expect this,” Pellegrino, 13, said. “I expected (to raise enough for) a goat per class or something along the lines of that. I never thought something like this could happen.”

Halimah Kasmani, a Grade 7 student and one of the organizers, was equally surprised.