Tight budgets and cutbacks are forcing a growing number of schools in Quebec to come up with creative ways to raise cash for everything from books and basic supplies to extra-curricular activities.
Springdale Elementary School in Dollard des Ormeaux teamed up with the Chapters book store in Pointe Claire Thursday night for a fundraising experiment. Students greeted customers as they came in, offering them in-store discounts. The store gave back 10 per cent of every sale to the school all evening long.
Seven year-old Lexiana Savoury was among those making the pitch.
“I give them a sticker and then I tell them to go to the cashier when they're done and show their sticker and we get 10 per cent for our school,”she said.
But by all accounts, grade 6 student Maria Agnesi was the most convincing with shoppers.
“She’s the top seller because she has such good grammar and a great smile to talk to people,” said fellow student Kathleen Hynes.
Chapters agreed to the event as part of their community outreach program. Parents and teachers came up with the idea to offset the increasing pressure from cuts in education.
“Our home and school committee and my team, we sat down and we were looking at ways to fundraise for Springdale to help support our schools and students,” said the school's principal, Kerry Payette.
Customers generally went along with the unusual level of attention as they walked into the store. But for the school, this is serious business – budgets are shrinking and the money raised is going to fulfill some very basic needs for Springdale, like buying books, other materials and funding their graduation ceremony.
