Guelph-Eramosa council has lauded a group of local girls for their ingenuity and presentation skills regarding a planned fundraiser this fall.
“I think this is something we should support,” councillor Doug Breen said of the Hopscotch for Hope event proposed for Oct. 1 in Eden Mills.
At council’s last meeting in April, local girls Kory Melnick, 13, Robin Melnick, 11, and Kamari Brown Gain, 13, explained their plans to set the world record for the longest hopscotch course and also to raise funds for Free the Children and for Right to Play.
“We have lots of ideas and energy to help children around the world,” Kamari said.
Motivated by a visit earlier this year to the We Day event in Kitchener-Waterloo, the girls have started what they call the Step Up 4 Change fundraising campaign, of which the hop scotch course event will be a part.
They plan to kick off the campaign with a Dance 4 Change for children aged 7 to 14, at the community hall in Eden Mills on May 6.
As for the hopscotch event itself, the girls, who are working with parents and the Right to Play group at the University of Guelph, hope to raise $15,000.
They hope to reach that goal by selling hopscotch squares (individually or in groups of 10) along the 5.5km route, offering corporate and business sponsorship, inviting in-kind donations of food and refreshments, and requiring a small registration fee for participants.
The hopscotch route, which will be drawn on the road the day before the event, will start at the ball park and take place along Indian Trail and Memorial, Wilson, Ash, York and Barden Streets.
Councillor John Scott called the presentation by the three girls “absolutely outstanding” and full of “repartee.”
Breen agreed and quipped, to much laughter, that the presentation was “much better than the last time the LHIN [Local Health Integration Network] was here.”
Mayor Chris White called the proposal a great idea for the community and commended the girls for their work.
Council directed staff to look into the specific requirements for the hopscotch event, including road closures, signage and insurance.
For more information, visit www.stepup4change.com.
