Aarian Bhakoo & Saraniya Raveendra | June 18, 2021
To see our previous article on Prefects, click here.
Despite the obstacles presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many clubs have displayed adversity by running uplifting and engaging events. One of these clubs is Prefects, a club centered around advocacy and leadership. Throughout the past years, this club has represented the ideals and values of our school by giving back to causes, selected by the Woodlands student body, that have a global effect. In the past, they have supported causes including water scarcity and education for girls, as well as organizations for mental health. This year, the Woodlands student body chose one pertinent cause to support: COVID-19 Pandemic Relief. More specifically, the charity selected to support was Food Banks Canada, an organization which has been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic to provide basic food security to millions of Canadians in desperate need of it.
The Prefects acts as the driving force behind a major portion of The Woodlands’ charitable initiatives, working tirelessly to plan and promote fundraising events. They raised a total of $10,844.67 in Semester 1 of 2019 alone. Whether it was hosting barbecues following the Terry Fox walk, organizing various holiday drives to allocate resources for Woodlands families, running annual “Pasta La Vista” fundraiser dinners that lifted spirits, or even collecting used clothing to run Thrifted, the Prefects were always up to the task. Throughout these events, Prefects were successful in keeping the student body in a constant state of engagement when it came to giving back. This has grown to become an incredibly important aspect of the environment at The Woodlands. After all, being a Prefect is more than just being a member of a fundraising committee, it is about being an ambassador of the Woodlands at large and using that role to give back and leave an impact on the issues currently facing the world.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has added layers of unfortunate complexity to charitable initiatives that were once more logistically simple. With many students learning from home and serious restrictions becoming commonplace on gatherings of all types, the Prefects have had a multitude of challenging questions in moving forward with their attempts to raise money and give back to the community. How can fundraising events be adapted to the digital space? What digital events would actually appeal to the student body? How can the logistics surrounding electronic money transfers be coordinated, and how can technical difficulties with massive implications be overcome?
These questions, and the resulting difficult situations, have unfortunately led to major hurdles that have made it difficult for the Prefects to continue their valuable work, as logistical challenges have prevented certain events from being run as intended. For instance, plans for another Thrifted event this school year were postponed due to the difficulties presented by the sanitation and sale of clothing items.
However, despite the challenges, the Prefects have continued to prove themselves capable of rising to the occasion. Just five months ago, they were able to successfully launch their “Skribblistic” Skribbl.io tournament, with great student participation, feedback, and fundraising success. This was soon followed by the Space Escape virtual escape room in February, which was able to raise $875 for COVID-19 relief through the Food Banks of Canada. The group’s activities have not been exclusive to fundraising either; in November, they facilitated the “Out of the Woods” event, where various Woodlands alumni held informative workshops discussing their post-secondary pathways and experiences. Even as the year draws to a close, the Prefects continue to plan and map out various events for upcoming school semesters and years, working ardently to ensure that charitable giving remains a constant at The Woodlands Secondary School. “Though it was hard, we had a number of successful events and still managed to bond as a Prefects family,” said Sanna Tayabali, one of our 2020-2021 Prefect executives. “Here’s to hoping our classic events like Super Charity Week and Pasta La Vista can make a comeback next year.”.
If you would like to join Prefects for the 2021-2022 year, keep an eye out for applications coming out soon.
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