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| Above: Volunteers from York’s Stong College visit with children at the first “Make a Difference Event” held in 2004. |
Stong College students will visit Toronto’s Silverthorn Junior Public School on Friday for the 2nd Annual “Make a Difference Event” – also affectionately known as Kid’s Day – a full day of games, crafts, activities, shows and prizes for the 500 children who plan to attend.
Cayla Martin, Stong residence programmer and a student in York’s Faculty of Education, did her education practicum last year at Silverthorn, located at Keele and Eglinton, and suggested the location to Stong College Council’s organizers. Forty Stong-affiliated volunteers will visit for the entire day “Making A Difference” in the lives of these children in what they expect will be a bigger and better event than last year.
Left: York Lions joined in the fun in 2004
In addition to providing these children with a full day of activities, organizers wanted to leave a lasting impression on the students by teaching them the value of “Making a Difference” by helping the Ontario March of Dimes with its Pop Tab Campaign. To help raise funds through recycling, students will bring in the metal tabs from used soft drink cans until the end of May.
The money raised through this effort goes toward providing disabled children with assistive devices such as wheelchairs and other equipment. Stong’s volunteers hope that by helping the children at Silverthorn collect tabs and showing them how their donations can help others, that they will come to appreciate that they too can “Make A Difference” regardless of their age or situation in life.
Left: Volunteers share a laugh at last year’s tattoo station
To help collect the thousands of small metal tabs needed to make the campaign a success, Stong council is asking the entire York community for help. Students, faculty and staff are being asked to collect pop tabs at school, home and work and spread the message to friends, family and co-workers.
Everyone is asked to collect as many tabs as they can in a container between now and the end of May, which can then be dropped off at room 106A Stong College (across from the Orange Snail). Or, to arrange for pick-up of your donation, contact Cayla Martin at campaign headquarters by e-mail at StongMADE@hotmail.com.
This article was submitted to YFile by Cayla Martin, Stong Residence programmer.