Leni Lybbert, Grade 2 student at St. Francis Xavier School, holds out a few loonies which were donated to Mission Mexico.--SUBMITED PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education’s Mission Mexico fundraising campaign kicked off this week. The annual event was first started in 2000 by Medicine Hat resident Father Fred Monk and has been carried out by Catholics of Southern Alberta since.
“(Monk) had the idea that if everybody brought in a loonie, we could raise a lot of money toward this outreach program,” Annette Graf, Grade 6 teacher at Mother Teresa, told the News.
To support the cause, staff and students at MHCBE are asked to donate a dollar, but can donate more if they choose. All funds raised throughout the campaign will help support community outreach projects in Mexico’s southern Guerror state.
“The money does go towards things like literacy projects, building of houses, school construction (and) health projects. A lot of them do embroidery and sewing – things that they can do and sell within their own community. So rather than giving them things, this kind of gives them an opportunity to better their lives,”said Graf.
Graf has been involved in the campaign since the passing of her son Alex in 2014.
“When we began receiving money from companies (Alex) worked for, I spoke to Father Fred about what we could do with this money and a welding scholarship was considered because Alex was going to be a welder. Then Father Fred came up with the idea that all of the donations would go towards starting something at the high school (in Mexico) called Alex’s Welding Shop.”
The shop was completed in Mexico’s Champagnat High School, which serves approximately 175 students.
“It is a place (where students learn) welding and plumbing and electricity,” said Graf. “These kids build things for the community. They fix things around the school. So, it’s given a whole lot of kids a lot of training they otherwise wouldn’t have had.”
Graf and other event organizers hope MHCBE’s community will once again show support for Mission Mexico. Usually, the event begins on Dec. 12, which is Our Lady of Guadalupe Day, but due to it landing on Sunday this year, it began Friday. Events will run throughout the month as each school determines their own fundraising initiatives.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story erroneously referred to Mission Mexico as a Medicine Hat Public School Division initiative. It is an initiative of Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education.
