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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
How much money can make a difference in someone's life?

Three students at J. H. Sissons School learned sometimes all you need is 10 cents.

Ella Kokelj, left, Mira Mercer and Wren Acorn helped raise close to $500 for the Gifts of Hope program with the support of J.H. Sissons School principal Paul Bennett, at back. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

Nine-year-old Wren Acorn saw the Gifts of Hope catalogue on her kitchen table a few weeks ago. She had seen it before, but this time flipping through it something felt different.

"We get it every year, but this year I felt I could actually do something," said Acorn.

Gifts of Hope, run by Plan Canada, is a catalogue where people can choose much needed gifts and bring them directly to a community in need throughout the world.

Acorn brought the catalogue to J.H. Sissons principal Paul Bennett and asked if there was anything that could be done.

Bennett agreed to bring it up with the teachers at the next staff meeting, but it was decided there was already enough fundraising on the go and there wasn't enough time to add one more.

"I talked to the teachers and they were already working on Christmas hampers and in January we start raising funds for Haiti," said Bennett.

"But I started thinking, this is what you want developing in our children. You have to develop a sense of citizenship and what are schools doing to develop that sense of belonging?"

After giving it some thought, Bennett decided to give Acorn a chance to run the fundraising table at the annual Christmas concert.

She enlisted the help of two friends, Ella Kokelj, 10, and Mira Mercer, 9.

"We all sat down and decided what we wanted to raise money for, we needed goals," said Kokelj.

"We're a school, so we decided our first goal would be classroom essentials, which gives paper, pencils and chalkboards to classrooms."

The trio weren't sure how much money they were going to raise, so they prepared some other goals, such as literacy training for women and helping children affected by HIV.

"I thought we'd be lucky to get $100," said Acorn. "But we raised $475 in one night. People were very generous."

Well, $475 minus a dime, which Bennett added the next day as the girls were counting out the donations. So they wouldn't be short the money required to purchase mango trees.

"He told us that every bit makes a difference," said Mercer.

"Because of that last (dime) we added two mango trees to our gift."

Acorn said she's still shocked at the amount they raised. Although the girls prepared posters and information for people, they said most people just donated without needing a lot of extra information.

"This was a rinky dink operation," said Acorn.

Rinky dink operation or not, it's made an impact on the trio.

"This will be one of the things you look back on and think 'wow, that was really fun and we made a difference,'" said Mercer.

They've also had an effect on people closer to home.

"In the car on the way home, Sage, my little brother, said when I moved out of the school he was going to take over and raise even more," said Acorn.

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