With the help of town council and a small donation from local taxpayers, a total of 18 youngsters from Osoyoos Elementary School are going to have the opportunity to participate in a “life changing event” in two weeks in Vancouver.

Town of Osoyoos council voted Monday to lend out the town’s community bus for two days and provide an additional $500 in funding so that 18 students from Grades 4 to 7 at the local elementary school can attend We Day celebrations at the Rogers Centre in Vancouver on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

This will be the third consecutive year that students from Osoyoos Elementary School have attended the special event that attracts more than 20,000 young students from across the province.

We Day was formed by the Free the Children organization founded by well-known Canadian activist Craig Kielburger and his younger brother Marc almost 20 years ago.

Local students Alex Brunner and Aidan Nelmes, accompanied by teacher Richard Bayliss, made an impressive presentation to members of Town of Osoyoos council on Monday detailing the significance of We Day celebrations and the impact is has on those who attend.

“We Day is a year-long commitment by young people to make the world a better place,” said Brunner. “It is not a one-day event, but a year-long commitment to taking positive action.”

Bayliss said 40 students from the school filled out applications to participate in We Day celebrations, but there’s only room for 18 to make the two-day trip to Vancouver.

Local students who attended last year’s event were overwhelmed with positive energy and made a commitment to make their community and the world at large a better place, said Nelms.

Some of the projects students who attended last year’s event organized locally include a Halloween Dance, Christmas Dance, community runs to assist non-profit organizations, fundraising events to help the local food bank, regional SPCA and local women’s shelter as well as a fundraising project to help build a new school in Uganda, said Bayliss.

Every participant who attends We Day celebrations is asked to commit to getting involved in at least one project that will help their community and one other that has impact on a global scale, said Brunner.

Students who participate in We Day have a  much higher rate of community volunteerism and much higher rate of being accepted into post-secondary courses, said Bayliss.

“It really is a life changing event for these children,” he said.

Coun. Mike Plante said donating the community bus and $500 to such a worthy cause is an easy decision.

“I think that’s what our community bus is there for … so let’s get those kids out to empower our community,” he said.

Coun. C. J. Rhodes praised Nelmes and Brunner for their presentations and said he was very pleased that local children will be able to attend such a powerful and life-affirming event such as We Day.

When informed Tuesday that town council had approved the request for assistance, Bayliss said he was thrilled with their support.

The parents of each of the students who will be travelling to Vancouver are asked to provide $100 towards the cost of the trip, said Bayliss.

Without the town agreeing to supply the community bus, it would be very difficult to raise enough money to participate in this very special event, said Bayliss.

The school’s new vice-principal, Jason McAllister, is qualified to drive the community bus and has volunteered his services to drive the students and teaching staff who will be attending We Day celebrations to Vancouver and back, said Bayliss.

During his many years of teaching in Osoyoos, having the opportunity to witness the positive benefits instilled in his students who are fortunate enough to participate in an event like We Day is one of the most beneficial he has ever seen, said Bayliss.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times