ISS Success!

On behalf of Cassandra Pryzner, Josie Paddock, and Ross and Jacquie Acree, I would like to thank the Town of Rivers and the surrounding communities for the amazing support we have received in our fundraising drive.

As you all know, Cassandra and Josie were selected to attend the 2009 Harry Messell International Science School in Sydney, Australia. The amazing opportunity came with a significant cost in terms of transportation expenses. The planning committee set a budget of $10,000 to cover the plane tickets and additional expenses once in Australia. I am happy to report that with the contributions of individuals, businesses, organizations, and various levels of government, we have met our goal!

For me personally, it is an amazing feat considering the state of the economy, and the fact that such a sizable financial goal was met by a “small” town. It really shows the ability of a rural community to band together to provide an incredible opportunity for its young people. Rivers and area should be proud of our accomplishment.

The contributors are too many to list at this time. A listing of the financial contributors is being maintained and updated as regularly as possible on our school website, which you can access at: http://www.rrsd.mb.ca/schools/rivers_collegiate/index.html. Many more individuals and organizations provided prizes for our fundraiser which was held in conjunction with our June 2nd band concert. I’d like to thank Ms. Roberts and the Rivers Band Parents Association for allowing us to “piggyback” on their event.

As the school year winds down, I am looking forward to hearing from Mr. Acree, Josie, and Cassandra about their adventures at the Science School down under. I am sure they will be inspired by Mr. Messell, a former Rivers resident himself. I really feel that Rivers Collegiate’s “Pay it Forward” motto has been adopted by the community as a whole – we have worked together to provide a once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity for our students and teachers.