Walkathon 2021

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The Vancouver College Walkathon is our annual student and faculty-led fundraiser where students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 come together, in true Irish spirit, to achieve a common goal. This long-standing tradition is made possible through the hard work and effort of teachers, students, and parent volunteers.

When is Walkathon 2021?

What is our goal and how are funds raised from Walkathon used?

As a school community, our goal is to raise $120,000, similar to our goal the past few years, which we achieved. Incentives are offered to students and classes based on individual donations and class totals. In addition, if we reach our goal, we all get an extra day-off school in November!

The theme of Walkathon 2021 is ‘Walking Hand In Hand’. Therefore, and in keeping with our Essential Element this year, “Stand in Solidarity with Those Marginalized by Injustice and Poverty”, a portion of this year’s proceeds will be directed towards supporting those disadvantaged in our society through the relationships we have with different organizations.

Walkathon 2021 will also fund the revitalization of our extra-curricular programs (including athletics, clubs, and arts) that are restarting as we emerge from the pandemic. In this way, Walkathon will help all of our boys reconnect with each other, hand in hand, outside of their classroom experience.

Students are encouraged to invite family and friends to support Walkathon 2021 through contactless ways. This includes but is not limited to e-mail, text messaging, and social media

Who should I approach for donations?

How do I invite family and friends to support?

How is Walkathon different from other fundraising initiatives at the school?

Walkathon is a fundraiser for a specific project/need that runs for a short period of time (3-4 weeks) and it is the only school-wide student/peer-to-peer initiative.

We encourage families to support their son’s fundraiser to promote school spirit in addition to considering a meaningful donation to Vancouver College through its Advancement Office in support of advancing the school’s mission and vision as well as to VCPA’s special events that not only raise funds but more importantly build community

How do I thank people for sponsoring me?

Thanking people is the best part of fundraising and showing our appreciation for our donors’ support is very important.

People genuinely like helping people and they also like to hear how their donation helped you and the school. If your donor is a family member, you can thank them for their support over dinner. If your donor is someone that does not live in the same household, you can send them a personal thank you note over email, snail mail, or give them a thank you call!

Do donors receive tax receipt for supporting Walkathon?

Where do we walk?

Last year we added some new routes to our traditional route (Queen Elizabeth Park) which we we will be using again this year:

Kindergarten - Grade 3 students will have arrangements made for a safe walking route on campus.
Grade 4 - 6 students will be walking in a designated route around the neighbourhood. A small group of their parents will be asked to help supervise this neighbourhood walk.
Grade 7 - 12 students will be following our traditional route around Queen Elizabeth park either per homeroom or per advisory group.

Groups will be staggered as per times listed in the following section to space each group accordingly.

When does my son need to arrive to school?

Elementary School

We ask that Kindergarten - Grade 6 students be dropped off to Vancouver College following their normal drop off schedule and that they head straight to their classrooms, where they will await their staggered walk start time.

A staggered dismissal of Elementary School Students will begin at 11:00 am with our Kindergarten boys. Parents are asked to follow normal pick up protocol, with K - Grade 3 parents waiting in the courtyard to collect their sons, and Grade 4-6 parents arranging to pick up their son's on either Hudson or Cartier Street.

Middle and Senior School

Times for the Grade 7 - 12 students will be shared closer to the date.

Middle and Senior School students are asked to contact their parents to arrange a pickup time when they are close to completing their walk. For planning purposes, we anticipate the walk taking no longer than an hour and a half to complete.

Upon completing their walk, students must check in with their Homeroom/Advisory teacher before leaving the Vancouver College Campus

What other reminders are there for Walkathon especially considering COVID-19?

In order to provide a safe and healthy experience for all our staff and students participating in Walkathon, please follow these safety guidelines:

As with each school day, parents must review our Daily Health Check with their sons before sending them on campus.
Please follow arrival and departure times so students are spaced out. Please see the FAQ's above for further information on when your son needs to arrive to school.
There are three Walkathon routes this year as detailed in the FAQ above. We will not be offering our traditional Walkathon hot dog lunch but will be providing students a pre-packed snack after the walk.
Walkathon participants are encouraged to wear a mask during the walk but are not required; however, face covering guidelines apply when inside our buildings.