Seven kilograms of raisins

Students from Central Algoma Secondary School (CASS) is one of several vendors, manning a table at the 49th Annual Maple Syrup Festival hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 374 in Richards Landing.

The festival wrapped up for the season Sunday.

CASS is one of four classroom entries from across Canada who have entered the Vimy Classroom Challenge launched in 2014.

With about 15 active students, the intent of the history club is to raise funds for a worthwhile cause each year, said Grade 7-8 teacher Marla Adamson Barber. 

The goal of the challenge hosted by the Vimy Foundation is to raise funds for the Vimy Ridge Visitors Centre which will open at the 100th Anniversary of Vimy Ridge 2017. 

“When the opportunity to raise money for the Vimy Foundation presented itself, again, we agreed it was worthy and as we already had lots of research completed we would do it again this year.”

The school hopes to raise $1000 (bronze level), $10 for every year in the centennial. 

With a gracious donation of $5, student club members are offering donors a slice of traditional trench cake, a favour, as a thank you. 

Seven kilograms of raisins were used to make numerous batches of Canadian War Cake, Adamson-Barber said, producing about 300 mini care packages that were wrapped and tied.

Among the family names of servicemen from the surround area include, McKay, Hatten, Evoy, Cheer, Beaton, Barber, Donaghue, Forbes, McLean, Fyfe and Crowder.

“We tried to include soldiers from all Central Algoma towns,” Adamson-Barber said. “In the process we learned that Ophir, Livingston Creek, Tarbutt, Wharncliffe, Rose Valley, Leeburn were viable addresses at the time.”

A portion of the names collected, Adamson-Barber added came from students and teachers from their own family history, as well from cenotaph inscriptions.

The cut off date for this initiative is May 31.

Individuals interested in donating to the Vimy Foundation on behalf of Central Algoma Secondary School are welcome to do so. Cheques can be made out to the Vimy Foundation and dropped off at the high school in Desbarats.