E.L. Crossley Secondary School was a sea of plaid as students and staff took part in the school’s annual Project Plaid day, an event designed to raise awareness about youth mental health and highlight local supports available in the community. The day was coordinated by the school’s Wellness Club and Interact Club, who worked together to create an engaging advocacy effort that encouraged students to write positive, supportive messages for one another on a large banner displayed in the main hallway.
As part of the event, the Interact Club presented an $800 cheque to MacKenzie Warren, Donor Relations Specialist at Pathstone Mental Health. The funds, raised earlier in the fall during a bake sale at a Tech Fest attended by District School Board of Niagara secondary schools, will support Pathstone’s Satellite Clinic at the Meridian Community Centre in Pelham.
Members of the Rotary Club of Fonthill—ongoing supporters of Crossley’s Interact Club—also attended the event sporting their own plaid attire. The club presented an additional $11,000 donation to Pathstone, proceeds from their annual Purse Bingo fundraiser, directed to the same Pelham satellite clinic.
“We loved seeing Crossley come together in plaid today,” said Catharine Hilson, a student leader in Interact and the Wellness Club. “The support of staff and students for the bake sale and the activities were greatly appreciated.”
Warren expressed gratitude to both the Interact and Rotary Clubs, noting that their enthusiasm and commitment to supporting youth in the Pelham community is “wonderful to see.”
The partnership between Crossley’s Interact Club and the Rotary Club of Fonthill will continue through their next initiative: the annual Holiday Cheer drive. Through this program, the school community collects gifts and food to support families in need through the Salvation Army’s holiday campaign.
