SHS restarts annual cake auction for cancer research

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Oct. 7 Strathmore High School hosted their annual cake auction to raise money for cancer research, shortly proceeding their Terry Fox Run. 

For many of the students it was their first time participating in the event as the school had held off from hosting the auction during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This year, with the tradition returning, staff and the roughly 800-student school population raised a total of $3138 in donations.

Strathmore High School principal Doug Raycroft said being able to host the auction was a good feeling for all those involved. 

“For a couple years with the pandemic, we weren’t able to do group events like this and this is a fun one for our staff and students in which we are doing something for a great cause,” said Raycroft. 

Strathmore High School’s cake auction had been an activity which staff and students participated in on an annual basis for several years prior to the pandemic, according to Raycroft.

It was organized this year by the student council, who facilitated the acquisition of pastries via donations, made by students and their families, or by purchase for the purposes of adding to the auction.

The activity was likened to the way a cattle auction may have been operated, something that many students were unfamiliar with. 

Raycroft added many of the students attending Strathmore High School have an interest in making a positive impact on society and tend to jump at the opportunity to do good.

“Anytime they can, they can do anything to be a good citizen. It is amazing the kind of support you can get from these kids,” said Raycroft.

Adding to the merriment and excitement, many of the pastries which were up for grabs had been creatively decorated either for the occasion, or simply to be a rather unique edition to the pile. 

Alhough Raycroft was unsure of exactly when Strathmore High School adopted the tradition of hosting a cake auction, he said the school is not the first to have come up with the idea. 

“We had our first cake auction probably around 2016, (and) it was a lot of fun. We were not the first ones to do a cake auction, we heard about the idea from somewhere else and we implemented it into our school, and it was a smash hit right away,” he said. 

Now that concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic have largely subsided for public education facilities, Raycroft said the school intends to continue hosting the event annually so long as it is able.