MAIN PHOTO: Student council members Lauren Peveril; Cam Giddens; Jayne Belliveau; and Ella Wilson spoke to The Laker News on why they wanted to take on such an endeavour and see the bleachers replaced. (Healey photo)
FALL RIVER: The students at Lockview High School are looking to the communities they represent to help them make their bleachers more appealing and safe.
The Student Council, in partnership with the School Advisory Council (SAC), are holding a fundraiser looking to raise $108,000 to cover the purchase of new, accessible bleachers to replace the current ones which have past their due date and are due to be replaced. The current ones pose safety risk for fans or those using them during events in the gym.
So the Student Council members have begun reaching out to the community and the many businesses in the area to seek support for the fundraiser.
In a letter to potential supporters, Principal Kelly MacLeod said the community enjoys watching sports in their gym or even renting it for their own activities.
“We have decided to make this a legacy project,” said MacLeod. “Our bleachers will feature six tier telescopic seating. Accessible seating is priority and will be built in.
“The seats will be made from durable plastic as opposed to wood and when closed the Lockview school logo will be prominently displayed.”
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Student council members Lauren Peveril; Cam Giddens; Jayne Belliveau; and Ella Wilson all spoke to The Laker News on why they wanted to take on such an endeavour and see the bleachers, which are expected to be in place by April, replaced.
“The other bleachers are really old, and they don’t really work properly,” said Giddens. “I’ve seen people try to pull them out and hope that they do so.”
“Hopefully, these new ones will be able to have more people sit in them and not be a safety hazard like the current ones,” added Wilson.
Citadel High in Halifax has similar bleacher seats to those that LHS is looking at purchasing. They will be accessible.
Peveril said the new seats will also be electric so pulling them out will not be required.
The students said the support so far from the business community has been good, with the Fall River Dairy Queen having been one of the initial businesses to step up in early February with a fundraiser that involved purchases of valentines day cakes. It saw $5 from each cake sale go to the fundraiser.
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Some of the boys from student council were the ones that visited a lot of the Fall River businesses in the community.
“The response has been good,” said MacLeod.
The school is also applying for a Rec Facilities Development Grant from the province, said MacLeod.
Schools like Lockview High are responsible for equipment in it, so like other schools in HRCE if they need something they are the ones who have to fundraise for it.
MacLeod said MLA Brian Wong has been supportive of the group in achieving their fundraising goal. MP Darrell Samson is providing support at different events at the school with signage.
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To make this a legacy they are including a donor wall opportunity. This donor wall allows for various levels of giving.
Donations of $100 and over will be offered a spot on the bronze area of the wall. Gifts of $500 and above will be given a spot on the silver area of the wall.
Contributions of $1000 and above are identified in the gold area. Each progressive area of the wall increases the size and length of the engraving to recognize the donor.
Corporations or businesses who would like to make a substantial donation in return for advertisement in the school are asked to contact MacLeod at: kmacleod@hrce.ca or phone: 902-860-6000.
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Giddens said she’s happy to be part of the fundraising initiative.
“It’s pretty exciting because we’re going to be getting some pretty awesome bleachers,” she said. “They will work really well. It’s nice to see how much support the community will put in to our school.”
The partnership began in September, however the tendering process for the bleachers had to go through the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
“Until the tender process was finally and we could go ahead, that’s when we launched the Legacy campaign,” said MacLeod.
MacLeod said the Student Council drive behind the project is great to see. She added they’re a great group of students.
“I’m just so grateful that they are excited, enthusiastic, and happy to help us with this,” she said.
Now all that’s needed to fulfill the project to its completion is the support of the businesses in the community.
