A group of elementary students so impressed Osoyoos council with its plea for funding to attend a youth empowerment event in Vancouver that the councillors gave them twice what they were seeking.
Six students and a teacher from Osoyoos Elementary School asked a council committee meeting Monday morning for $500 and the use of the town bus to attend We Day later this month.
We Day is an annual “youth empowerment” event organized by Free the Children, the movement started by celebrity social activists Craig and Marc Kielberger. We Day aims to motivate young people to take action on local and global issues. The event features speeches by prominent people and entertainment by youth-oriented musicians.
A story written by a teacher who attended We Day with several of her students in a 2013 edition of The Tyee referred to We Days as: “A series of enormous pep rallies for social change, which feature big-deal speakers and B-list musicians. Our show included Kofi Annan, Romeo Dallaire, Sean Atleo, Avril Lavigne and Hedley.”
At the Monday afternoon regular council meeting Councillor Mike Campol, whose children have been involved in We Day events, said, “I can’t say enough about (the program.)”
He moved a resolution to give the students a $500 grant to help with expenses and use of the town’s bus for transport.
After some procedural fussing and expressions of support for the students, Campol’s motion was defeated and quickly replaced by another one providing $1,000 plus the bus. The new motion was passed.
Chief administrative officer Barry Romanko said the money will come out of the town’s community development fund. The Vancouver event goes October 21 at Rogers Arena. The lineup of speakers and entertainment has not been released.