We Day October 18, 2013
Grade 5 F.W. Howay representatives, Mrs. Dupuis, Miss Biln and adult volunteers attended this energetic, outstanding gathering in Vancouver.
We Day is an annual free inspirational educational event that brings together students who have made a difference in their community over the last year through school programs and We Day/We Act initiatives. F.W. Howay was the first New Westminster elementary school to have a Grade 5 class attend this event! Howay Helping Hands attended We Day at BC Place along with 20,000 others committed students. They were most fortunate to get to listen to inspiring international artists, peacekeepers, motivational speakers, global figures, charitable campaign leaders, and other young people who lead the change to be the change they want to see in the world.
Schools have to earn tickets to attend by committing to helping others locally and globally. Howay Helping Hands know all about “filling others’ buckets” and love to do so. We have supported a child through World Vision for the last 6 years (Yacouba) and hold annual winter clothing drives for Lookout Society New Westminster. Last year we partnered with Ryans Well Foundation and sold water bottles to raise money to build a well, latrine and handwashing station in Ghana. We were most successful in raising close to $3000 in one week! There’s no stopping Howay Helping Hands!!
We Day 2013 included inspiring speeches by Martin Luther King III, the son of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.and Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations. Other speakers included Free the Children founders Craig and Marc Kielburger, Spencer West, Robin Wiszowaty along with young speakers Molly Burke, Hannah Alper and Vishal Vijay. The students were engaged, excited, involved and inspired. They came away knowing they are making a difference and the possibilities are endless. Be the change you want to see in the world!
