Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past spring the staff and students at N.J. Macpherson School challenged themselves to raise $15,000 to help Stanton Territorial Hospital. For a kindergarten to Grade 5 school with just over 250 students, that was an ambitious goal.
Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to say not only did the students reach their goal, they surpassed it. They raised just over $17,000 and I’m extremely proud to say that the school is in my riding of Kam Lake.
After hearing that the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation is currently raising money for a dedicated area in our territorial hospital for chemotherapy and IV treatments, Tina Drew, a parent at N.J. and one of my constituents, approached the school. She asked if they would consider raising funds for a local organization instead of a national one this year. The school jumped at the opportunity to keep the money here in the Northwest Territories. Just like business is an investment, when people donate to one of our local charities, they are creating a stronger, healthier community and I applaud N.J. Macpherson School for making that decision.
I’d also like to applaud the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation for spearheading many projects over the years to purchase medical equipment, to support programs and to assist in the development of new initiatives at our territorial hospital. The foundation is dedicated to raising funds to ensure that staff at the hospital have the best tools available to do their jobs and save lives. The Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation is still raising funds for chemotherapy and IV treatment, and I encourage everyone to consider making a donation.
I’d like to thank the staff and parents for helping N.J. reach and surpass its goal, and of course I’d like to thank the students for working so hard on this project. School isn’t all about math and reading, it’s also about learning to be a supportive community member and with this event N.J. certainly accomplished that.
This is one of many great community events that N.J. Macpherson held this past year. These students are the future. It’s clear they care about the community and are going to help us create a sustainable and vibrant territory well into the future.
