Three middle school students from Saanich hosted a bake sale on Sept. 7 to raise money for the Canadian Red Cross.
After hearing about various climate emergencies in the news, Danika Smith and her two friends, Alyssa Schibli and Kaya Hicks, wanted to donate money to victims of hurricane Dorian and to those dealing with fires in the Amazon rainforest. The Canadian Red Cross is collecting funds for hurricane victims and Amazon rainforest fire relief.
The three students decided a good old-fashioned bake sale was the way to do it. Smith loves to bake so she thought a bake sale fundraiser was a good idea.
Each girl baked a treat to sell and with the help of Smith’s grandma, Mary Ellen Clark, set up a booth outside the Scotiabank on Oak Bay Avenue.
READ ALSO: Hundreds gather in downtown Victoria for Extinction Rebellion climate protest
Clark used to work at the bank so she helped the Royal Oak Middle School students get permission to sell their baked goods outside. Manager Jamie Talbot was all for it, said Clark.
There were chocolate chip cookies, brownies and rice crispy treats available and the girls sold out. Smith and her friends raised $150 in just two hours.
It was a slow start as the weather wasn’t very nice, Smith explained, but eventually more and more people came by to chat, eat and donate to the cause. Some folks donated money without even taking a baked good which was very kind, she noted.
Smith feels everyone has a responsibility to do what they can to help.
“Just try your best and make a difference,” she said.
Clark hopes other kids see what her granddaughter and her friends did and decide to help out too.
“It’s nice to see young people taking interest in the world,” she noted proudly.
@devonscarlett
devon.bidal@saanichnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.