After a tricky summer season for the kids of Lytton, B.C., some reduction has come within the type of college provides.
Paul Drakos, a second-year undergraduate scholar from Ontario, donated lots of of backpacks stuffed with college provides for the scholars who’ve spent the summer season evacuated from their properties, lots of which burned down.
On June 30, the residents of Lytton and the encircling communities escaped a wildfire that engulfed the village in mere hours, leaving two individuals useless.
The hearth has been decided to be human-caused. The Transportation Security Board is investigating after it grew to become recognized each CP and CN trains had been working within the space on the time of ignition.
As he combed by way of information tales in regards to the devastation in Lytton, Drakos stated he felt compelled to assist.
“Being a scholar myself, I simply thought these households have misplaced every little thing and there is a lot of their lives that they should rebuild,” he stated.
“I wished to assist the kids prepare for varsity so that might simply be one much less factor their mother and father must concentrate on.”
He began calling family and friends, sharing the story of Lytton and explaining his plan.
Drakos raised $3,000 in about three weeks. With that, he was capable of buy backpacks, pens, pencils, pencil circumstances, sharpeners, erasers and crayons for about 300 college students.
He linked with Edith Loring-Kuhanga, a faculty administrator for the Stein Valley Nlakapamux College, to learn the way he may get his donation to the scholars.
“I used to be simply so impressed and overwhelmed as a result of he needed to manage [this] himself after which he needed to get the message out, and to have the ability to fundraise for 3 300 backpacks with college provides is completely wonderful, completely wonderful, and so grateful and grateful to him,” Loring-Kuhanga stated.
The donation helped not solely the kids at her college, but in addition on the Kumsheen ShchEma-meet College.
Lytton was primarily destroyed, and the Lytton First Nation stays on evacuation order. Loring-Kuhanga stated college students will attend college just about for the primary six weeks of faculty, beginning Sept. 13, and after that they will re-evaluate whether or not it is potential to carry children again for in-class studying.
“Typically, our households are scattered throughout,” Loring-Kuhanga stated.
“They’re actually struggling in so some ways and to not have to fret about shopping for a backpack and a number of the very important college provides, I believe is only a weight off of their shoulders.”
Drakos, who’s working towards a profession in well being care at McMaster College, stated he is at all times been drawn to serving to others.
“I’ve at all times been an lively member and serving to my group. I used to be a member of my college scholar council. We raised a number of donations and meals drives for numerous charities,” he stated.
“Studying these tales and listening to about these peoples’ lives, your coronary heart goes out to them and it is arduous to then simply type of look away from it, simply maintain going together with your life. The extra I heard after which, the extra I knew about it. I used to be like, ‘I have to do one thing to assist these individuals.'”
