Hundreds of St. Albert students are back from a Calgary event to help save the world as part of We Day.
Roughly 350 students from the Greater St. Albert Catholic and St. Albert Public schools joined 16,000 others at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary Wednesday for the annual We Day Alberta event.
The rally, organized by We Charity (formerly Free the Children), is meant to inspire youth to make a difference in their local and global communities. Students earn tickets to the event by participating in social justice activities.
This year’s rally featured talks by astronaut Chris Hadfield, singer Paula Abdul and mental health advocate Margaret Trudeau, as well as performances by Juno-award-winning hip-hop artist Classified and country singer Brett Kissel.
Sarah Jackson, a Grade 11 student at St. Albert Catholic High, said this was her third time at We Day.
A student council member, Jackson said she had previously helped organize a sock-collection at a haunted house and raised cash to buy goats in developing nations as part of We Day. This year, she plans to raise funds to build a school in the Philippines, organize food and clothing drives, and make meals at the Mustard Seed in Edmonton.
We Day opens your eyes to the state of the world and lets you see first-hand the result of your actions, Jackson said.
“When you see how your impact has actually shaped these people’s lives, it’s very inspiring.”
