Tantramar Dragon Boat teams smash their record and raise over $45k for Lions Sick Children’s Fund
When two enthusiastic students first convinced math teacher Julie Jones to help organize a Tantramar Regional High School (TRHS) team for the Greater Moncton Dragon Boat Festival back in 2006, Jones thought the goal of raising $1800 would be tough to accomplish. Now, 17 years later, a small army of 196 students and 14 staff at the school have raised over $45,000 and counting. “Right now I have a total of $45,539,” said Jones on Tuesday. “And there’s still money coming in.”
Jones says the team surpassed last year’s record amount of $39,000. “I’m pretty pretty darn proud of these kids,” said Jones. “It’s pretty amazing.”
Katerina Hicks is the leader of this year’s Dragon Boat council. The graduating student says it is “absolutely wonderful” that a small community like Tantramar was able to raise such a large amount of money to go towards the Lions Sick Children’s Fund and other charities chosen by students. “I’m so proud to be a part of that,” says Hicks.
To raise the money, the students ran a number of activities and events, including a carnival, popcorn and vegetable and flower seed sales, and two shows featuring Nova Scotian hypnotist Ian Stewart. “One of the good things about Dragon Boat is that not only can we fundraise money for charities,” says student council member Mack Faulkner, “but also do it in ways that engages our community.”… Continue