Black Diamond’s reputation for great hospitality will be further enhanced as hundreds of teenagers and their teachers perform acts of kindness throughout town.
Oilfields High School students and teachers will be joined by Grade 7 and 8 Millarville Community School students to give back to their community through various acts of kindness in a tradition called Spirit of Giving on Dec. 16.
It’s a day Oilfields student Lina King looks forward to each year.
“It just feels like you’re actually doing something and you feel like you’re a part of something, like a part of the bigger picture in helping other people,” she said. “It’s important to give back to the community and make as many people happy as possible. Do as much with the one life you are given as you can.”
Students and teachers spend the morning opening doors, handing out Christmas cards and baking, hosting activities for elementary students, singing at the High Country Lodge, making ornaments and mittens for Oilfields Food Bank Christmas hampers and wrapping gifts beside the Country Food Mart AG Foods with the proceeds going to Heaven Can Wait Animal Rescue. Others spend the day in Calgary either doing crafts with people in The Alex Community Health Centre or sorting donations at the Calgary Drop-In Centre.
Last year, King signed up to teach elementary students how to skate.
“I just liked seeing the reactions of those little kids and realizing that you made their day,” she said. “It really makes their day when they have an older role model.”
This year she is helping to organize a scavenger hunt for C. Ian McLaren, Turner Valley and Millarville Community School students.
“I think it’s really important to give back to the community, especially with the little elementary kids because it takes a village to raise a child,” she said. “They need several good role models to get them off to a good start.”
King expects the community will see teenagers in a different light when herself and her peers give back to the community.
“With the seniors that wouldn’t have a lot of family it makes their day that much more special and with the elders I feel like Spirit of Giving makes them realize that not all teenagers are your stereotypical teenager,” she said. “We do care about the community and we do care about older generations.”
Oilfields teacher and guidance counselor Paulette Morck said Spirit of Giving gives students the opportunity to experience what it’s like to give to others.
“The kids are opening the doors and wishing people a Merry Christmas,” she said. “Everywhere you look there’s smiles. It’s the one day of the year that we have very little as far as behavioural issues.”
Morck said as soon as the sign-up sheet is posted for the various events the students rush to get their names down.
“It becomes a race to fill in the form,” she said, adding the most popular activities are baking and making crafts.
While the event presents a hospitality boost to the community, it also benefits the school, said Morck.
“We know that we’re an awesome school, but the community doesn’t always know that,” she said. “When these positive things are happening out in the community it’s pretty cool to have feedback from folks saying, ‘I’ve had the nicest little exchange with a young person.’ I enjoy it because it’s a day that the school is painted with a positive brush.”
Morck said the community looks forward to the day a much as the staff and students.
“I’ve had a few phone calls from local people saying, ‘When is this happening?’” she said. “Seeing our kids engage in super positive things makes them feel good.”
