Mount Slesse middle school is getting a huge Free The Children thank you this spring.
On June 9, double amputee Spencer West will be presenting at the school as part of his 10-week We Create Change Tour.
The tour is described as a mini We Day.
West, a renowned motivational speaker, was told he would never be a functioning member of society after he lost both legs at the age of five. He has long proved those predictions wrong – traveling the continent, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, inspiring children and adults the world over.
The presentation will also include appearances from Canadian pop-rock band Neverest, as well as cast members of the Emmy-nominated TV series Degrassi, 11-year-old activist Hannah Alper, and others.
It will be dynamic, interactive, educational. It will feature first hand accounts from students and educators in developing countries who've been helped by Free the Children initiatives.
The cross-country tour is celebrating the incredible actions Canadian students took this year to give children in third world countries access to education.
Last October Canadian schools were challenged to help Free the Children build 200 schools by the end of 2014.
In Chilliwack, Mount Slesse took on the challenge with the backing of 11 other schools.
Chilliwack has raised over $8,000 to date.
Rather than hog West and his friends, Mount Slesse is sharing the experience. Every Chilliwack "We" school that assisted with the fundraising cause will be attending the event.
"Every child has the right to education and the students we are visiting on the We Create Change Tour share in this belief and have worked hard to make this a reality for so many of their peers overseas," said West. "I feel honoured that I have the opportunity to celebrate their fundraising efforts to build schools, and I'm excited to share their stories with the rest of Canada, encouraging others to follow their lead."
Fifty seven million children are currently denied access to education.
For more information on the tour, go to www.freethechildren.com/wecreatechangetour