Grade 5 class art auction benefits Ukrainian refugee family
When their teacher told them about a family of Ukrainian refugees from Kharkiv trying to rebuild their lives in Alberta, the students were listening.
"They had just arrived here from Ukraine and were in need of quite a bit," said Angela Read, grade five teacher at Spitzee Elementary in High River.
The mother and one son had made it to Canada through Poland and Ireland while their father and older brother are still stuck in the war torn country.
Read wanted her class to help.
"So, we all pitched in and made some art. I did mostly sunflowers. I don't know why but I did," said Graycee Bolton, a grade 5 student.
"Then I painted another piece of work and I was like, I think I'll paint another sunflower. And it was followed by another one," Bolton said.
Read put the work up for sale through an open Facebook group - Spitzee School Art Auction - with the money going to help the family get settled.
Angela Read put the work up for sale through an open Facebook group - Spitzee School Art Auction - with the money going to help the family get settled.
"Because were doing it for a good cause, we're doing it to help somebody that was not in the best part of their life, I thought I would try and do my best on my art piece," said Calvary Prakash, another student.
"I think that they're all amazing pieces of art work," Prakash said. "I don't think that people are just bidding because they really like the art work, I think they're bidding because they know what our cause is."
The cause is already exceeding the modest expectations of the class and their teacher.
"The goal was $100 at least for this auction and we are over $1,000 at this point which is amazing," Read said.
"I'm pretty proud of my students, this was all their creativity and their designs, I just facilitated it for them."
"They have such big hearts and they are so excited to watch the bids come in and they know it's for a great cause, and it just reminds us of how blessed we are in our lives," said Read.
The bidding is open to anyone and wraps up at 4 p.m. Thursday June 23.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.