SUBMITTED BY SAFE GRAD 2023 committee
This years’ Fall Fair game booths raised $3,500 for the high school graduating class, according to the Safe Grad 2023 committee.
For several years the children’s booths, this year coordinated by Jocelyn Ferguson and run by Grade 12 students, have been one of the main fundraisers for the graduating class of Gulf Islands Secondary School (GISS). Parents also contributed to the fundraiser funds by selling game tickets and managing the Fall Fair traffic on Rainbow Road.
“We are very happy with the efforts of the students and the parents, especially with the Fall Fair being a week earlier and just after the start of school” said Janine Fernandes-Hayden of the Safe Grad 2023 committee. “It is the first step to organizing a safe and inclusive grad party.”
Safe Grad relies completely on the fundraising efforts of grad parents, said Fernandes-Hayden, and a portion of the fundraising also goes to support a legacy project as a gift from the grads to the high school.
While the amount raised at the Fall Fair makes a dent in the efforts, the parent group still has 70 per cent left to raise. The next fundraiser will be the Holiday Auction, run for the third year in a row by Julie Nowell. The online auction started in 2020 when fundraising was difficult due to COVID-19 and turned out to be hugely successful. This years’ auction can be found on Facebook (Gulf Islands Safe Grad 2023) and will take place from Dec. 6-8.
Anyone who would like to support Safe Grad 2023 can join the online fundraising event. To support this initiative by donating an item or a service, please contact safegradgiss@gmail.com.
The group is also trying to connect with all parents of the 2023 graduating class, and requests they send an email to get onto the distribution list for information on Grad 2023 activities.