by Sandi Kuntsi
Manitoulin Mustangs are focused and eager as they approach the end of the school year.
On June 2, hundreds of community members, staff, and students from all over Manitoulin gathered at Manitoulin Secondary School for the 2017 Relay for Life to support cancer research. Relay for Life is a Canadian Cancer Society event to raise money for the organization. The Relay Committee this year was Garret Gauthier (entertainment), Nea Saunders (promotion, social media), Yohana Ogbamichael (awareness), Shelby Hester (co-chair), Kristina Renwick (registration), Carissa Holliday (luminaries), Kendra Jordison, Victoria MacDonald (finance), Isaac (AV, entertainment), Eden Beaudin (entertainment), Jessica Marshall (co-chair), Sarah Hovingh (registration) and Dakota Legge. The staff members involved were Ms. Marshall, Mr. Zegil, Ms. McCann, Mme. Desbiens, and Mr. Theijsmeijer. Kendra Jordison organized the Survivors’ Banquet for people who are battling cancer or who have fought and won the battle. The survivors were treated to sandwiches, vegetables, chips, crackers, cheese, and cake. The event fundraising goal was 30,000 dollars, but the all together the event made $38,000. Teams had to have one person walking around the track at all times to keep the relay going. Throughout the night there were several fun events and competitions to keep participants awake and moving: bump, tug of war, pie-eating contest, water balloon toss, frozen t-shirt challenge, karaoke, Zumba, lip-syncing contest, people-mache, a silent auction, a photo scavenger hunt, and movies. In addition to these games, there were themed laps, to make the actual relaying more entertaining: A survivor’s lap, conga line lap, all boys, kids lap, youngest person on each team lap, three-legged race lap, piggy-back ride lap, and all girls.
Participants could be seen socializing with their friends at their campsites, chatting while walking the track, and having fun at all of the activities. SHARE/Go Green organized the canteen for the event, selling chili, hamburgers, hotdogs, chocolate bars, coffee, and baked goods. The event was a success, and after 12-hours full of fun and games, everyone cleaned up to head home for some much-needed rest.
Eden Beaudin, Grade 12 student and member of the committee, said, “I think that the event actually went really well, and I got a lot of positive feedback from a lot of people. I think that even though people were super cold a lot of teams pulled through and were able to understand a little bit about the struggle and battle of cancer. I was talking to one participant, and she said that even though her feet hurt and was freezing, she kept going because she wanted to keep fighting just like many of the survivors had. There were a lot of good moments the event had. There were a lot of laughs when we had the pie eating contest or the frozen t-shirt contest. It was a lot of fun.”
Even though the Relay for Life was all-consuming for many, James Scott was focused on the track. James travelled to Belleville for OFSAA Track and Field from June 1-3. Competing against the best athletes in Ontario, he placed 22nd in the 800 metre Senior Boys’ run, with a time of 2 minutes and 2 seconds. James also competed in the 1,500 meter Senior Boys’ run, placing 23rd with a time of 4 minutes and 16 seconds.
Others are focused on graduation, which is right around the corner, with the ceremony on June 8 at Manitoulin Secondary School. Grade 12s and their families will celebrate the accomplishments and futures of the graduates as they enter the homestretch of their high school careers. The prom is also taking place on June 8, after the graduation ceremony. The dance will be a fun way for the graduates, and all Mustangs, to celebrate the end of the school-year with their friends. Tickets for Prom are $10 a person and $15 a couple.
There are just under three weeks of classes left, and the Mustangs are eager to finish their final projects and exams so they can start their summer vacations and summer jobs. ‘Til next time, stay golden, Mustangs.
