Teacher Gail Morash (back row) and students of Red Wing Public School's SLC display the food, toys, and treats they will be donating to the SPCA on May 24. (Red Wing Public School/Facebook)

By Logan Lehmann

Giving back

Red Wing students give back with big donation to SPCA after wildfires displace animals

May 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM

Students at Red Wing Public School just north of Prince Albert are set to make a big donation to the SPCA and the timing couldn’t be better.

The school’s Student Leadership Council (SLC) organized various fundraising campaigns for a nearly $600 donation to the SPCA, including candy grams, freezies, and raffle tickets.

Teachers Gail Morash and Melanie Smith run the school’s SLC and as Morash explained, this donation is two years in the making.

“We’ve been running a Student Leadership Council at the school for the last couple of years and we asked the kids what they wanted to raise money for and the SPCA is what they all wanted to raise money for,” she said. “We’ve been raising money for two years and about three times a year we’ll do a different fundraiser that our SLC organizes and we collect money and we just decided that now it’s time to give the money back.”

According to Morash, students comprised a list of items that she and Smith would pick up with the funds raised, including various foods, toys, and treats for the animals totaling close to $600. When she called the SPCA to schedule their upcoming donation, they said with fires threatening the community of Buffalo Narrows, the SPCA is expecting more animals to come in after being displaced or separated from their families and that the donation comes in the nick of time.

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The food and treats that Red Wing Public School’s SLC bought for the SPCA after two years of fundraising. (Red Wing Public School/Facebook)

Although fundraising is over for the year, the school is still accepting donations up until May 24 when they deliver the goods to the SPCA. Morash added that SPCA is running short on one particular item.

“The SPCA said that they’re grateful for anything but dog food, that’s the big one they’re hoping we get even more of,” she said. “We found out about the evacuation when we called the SPCA to let them know we were bringing in (the donation). I was setting up that appointment and they said that the timing couldn’t be better because they’re expecting all these animals so we decided to keep the fundraising going.”

As for her students, she praised the kid’s work and commitment to this initiative.

“These kids are awesome,” said Morash. “They are always willing to put in extra time like give up their recesses and lunch hours and go and talk to classes about upcoming fundraisers so I couldn’t be prouder.”

She added that the students will tag along with the donation process and will get the chance to tour the facility and play with some of the animals.

Red Wing principal Graham McGregor also shared his thoughts on the students initiative, stating that he’s proud of the fundraising they have done along with the decision to support the local SPCA, and the animals being evacuated from the North.

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logan.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @lloganlehmann