Amazing Kids Feature: Students from FS School in ON, Canada
We received an Amazing Kids nomination for three special students so we sat down with them and their teacher from FS School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
After reading A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, students Mack, Will, and Rowan decided to complete a 30 kilometer (18.64 miles) bike ride to raise money for WFSS. Their teacher explained the students were surprised to learn kids their age could not attend school because they don’t have access to clean water. The students had previously done a fundraiser for a local food bank but were now interested in taking their efforts global. As their fundraising page explained, “We are doing a 30km bike ride on June 15th to raise money for WFSS. We are asking people to sponsor us a dollar per km (a $30 pledge). If 334 people donate a dollar per km that we bike, we can reach our goal."
In preparation for the big day, the students trained by biking different 10km routes that they mapped out and eventually strung together for their 30km ride. Understanding the importance of being knowledgeable about the cause when asking for support, students educated themselves by interviewing two South Sudanese community members about their lives back home and in refugee camps. “We learned that they waited for hours to get water, and worked hard to get an education. We learned that most people living in remote South Sudan without a well cannot get an education because they have to walk for water instead."
This information moved the students to get to work. While they trained for the bike ride, they also reached out to family and friends for support. They updated their fundraising totals on a daily blog, and Rowan was excitedly sharing that the students were surpassing their fundraising goal. They set out to raise $300, but blew past that benchmark, eventually raising $6,300 American dollars to fund clean water.
When asked what advice they would give to anyone fundraising, Mack says to get to know WFSS and learn as much as can about the organization, while Will suggests emailing your loved ones and asking them to give. Rowan was most interested in well rehabilitation when he learned of how many communities could benefit from this after speaking with staff at WFSS. The bike ride was an overwhelming success, says their teacher. “They planned their route around local water bodies and took turns leading one another for 10-kilometer increments. It really was a team effort, and they trained for over a month to be able to prepare for the ride!”
Every day we’re grateful for Amazing Kids like Mack, Will, and Rowan—young people who step up to make a life-changing difference for South Sudan’s most vulnerable communities. We’re also thankful for all of the teachers, parents, and friends who remind the kids in their lives that they can change the world!
Do you know an amazing kid?
