Parent Council harvests community support for Houghton PS
Houghton Public School’s Parent Council has never had a shortage of ideas, vision, and energy to make their school community an even better place. But when it came time to carry out specific projects, they needed creativity to generate the funds necessary. Since money doesn’t grow on trees, they decided maybe it could come from the ground.
In order to plan the ambitious project of upgrading the school’s grounds two years ago, the Parent Council sowed the seeds of support by planning a harvest dinner and auction for the community. The fundraiser was a runaway success, attracting 500 people who together raised more than $20,000.
After the great success of the first harvest dinner event, Parent Council leaders knew they had to do something big to follow it up. “People were a lot more enthusiastic after they saw what we had done the previous year,” said Lisa Friesen, a Parent Council member.
The results of the event have meant a more welcoming outdoor environment for students could be created, but the effects go far beyond what the project initially set out to do.
“The fundraiser has brought together the community, parents, students, and staff in realizing goals,” said Houghton PS Principal Giancarlo Crotta. “Most importantly, it gave our students a sense of pride in attending Houghton, and demonstrated to them a vital lesson in terms of how much you can accomplish with dedication and teamwork.”