Terry Fox graduating students will have a chance to help Syrian refugee students attending school in the Tri-Cities to get a college education.
As the students walk across the stage during their grad ceremony, they will be asked to drop a donation into a bucket for a bursary for Syrian students to attend Douglas College.
The fundraising drive is the initiative of the Port Coquitlam high school's 2016 Legacy Club, whose members plan to raise $3,000 by the end of the school year.
They've already achieved much of their fundraising goal, said sponsor teachers Franca D'Alfonso and Trista Fuller, who explained that the Douglas College Foundation will also match the contribution.
"I just know with our group of 10 [students], they really realized the importance of their education and where they're going," Fuller said. "They empathized with kids their ages coming into a country who don't have the same opportunities as they do. They wanted to give back because they see how important their education is."
A spokesperson for the Douglas College Foundation welcomes the initiative.
“I am so impressed with the Terry Fox Legacy students," says Hazel Postma, associate vice-president, advancement and alumni relations at Douglas College. “They were touched by the Syrian refugee crisis but instead of getting upset and feeling powerless, they got together and did something. They have fundraised, first for the Red Cross, and then to make sure that a Syrian refugee of their own age will be able to go to college.”
• To be eligible for the bursary, the Syrian refugee student should be between the ages 17 to 20 and reside in the Tri-Cities. Donations can be made here: www.douglascollege.ca/about-douglas/groups-and-organizations/douglas-college-foundation/donate. Donations over $25 will receive a tax receipt.
