Giving back to the community

By Melissa Piche Times Contributor

To celebrate the season of Lent, the students at Holy Cross Collegiate (HCC) held their annual two Lenten charity campaigns. The activities began on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, and concluded on Holy Thursday, April 6. 

Tomás Rochford is a teacher at HCC and he explained that the first of the two charity works the students participate in are Loonies for Lent, where students were encouraged to bring in a coin or cash donation. This year the school included debit or credit, which he said was very helpful. 

“We boosted our technology so we could take tap,” said Rochford. “It was helpful because a lot of students aren’t bringing cash.

“The second major fundraiser in Lent was the 25-hour famine. (The students) can sign up for fasting for 25 hours with no food. They can have water and juice.” 

He said the event started on a Friday morning with regular school that day. They stay at the school after the regular day has ended and various activities were held to keep the students busy and their minds off of their hunger. 

“There are sports, board games, video games, movies, the Strathmore Square Dancers came out and led them in a dance,” he said. Participants stayed the night at the school and the next morning they clean the school from the previous night’s events. Finally, around 10 a.m. on the Saturday, “they get a big feast that the parents and teachers put on.” 

The famine usually brings in over $2,000 alone, which goes towards various charities. 

“More than a third of our population (HCC students) usually show up for the 25-hour famine,” he said.

Rochford explains this high number of participants is the key to the success of the fundraiser. He estimated they had close to 125 students participating in the famine this year. This year marks the 12th time the school has hosted the famine. 

Students from Grades 7-12 were eligible to participate in the famine with the senior high students taking on more leadership roles. 

“One of the major roles is to make sure there is a constant supply of juice,” he said, as the famine relies heavily on the sugar and the fluids.

“(The students) were very thankful for the generosity,” said Rochford. “Our town has maintained a great degree of generosity that has been very wonderful.” 

The fundraiser allowed the school to donate $750 to the Wheatland Crisis Society, $1,000 to the Overnight Shelter, $1,000 to the Wheatland County Food Bank and $1,596.96 to the Chalice Canada’s Ukraine Relief Fund.