Students get a leg up
UNW donates $15,000 to Rotary's Kids Ahead Snack Program
Todd Parsons, left, president of the Union of Northern Workers, hands over a cheque for $15,000 to Kam Hogan, president of the Rotary Club on Yellowknife at a luncheon yesterday. The money will go towards Rotary's Kids Ahead snack program, which provides nutritious snacks to students. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Grade 1 students at Mildred Hall and Weledeh schools will have fuller tummies this school year thanks to a donation from the Union of Northern Workers.
The money was gifted to the Yellowknife Rotary Club's Kids Ahead snack program at a Rotary luncheon at the Explorer Hotel yesterday. At the event, Todd Parsons, UNW president, presented a cheque for $15,000 to the Rotary Club and its president Kam Hogan.
The funds will be used to provide healthy snacks to those students, Hogan said, adding the UNW and Rotary have been supporting the program for many years.
"One of our key areas in Rotary is youth and making sure that children are given healthy snacks so they can perform better in school," she said. "It's important to us."
Parsons said learning can be difficult for some students, but trying to do it on a empty stomach makes it harder.
"It's very sad that some families can't afford to provide nutritional food to support their children going to school," he said. "Kids should be focused on learning, not their bellies and being hungry."
Parsons said the UNW helps fund nutritional snack programs across the NWT.
