$1 including gst
Alberta Prosperity Project event in Tofield ~ story on page 9
Your LOCAL Media since 1918! VOLUME 108: ISSUE 14
www.tofieldmerc.com
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
HRA students raise over $9k for Stollery Foundation
HRA students have raised $9,680 for the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation. L-R: HRA Superintendent Wes Oginski, Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation Youth Philanthropy Advisor Tannis Tulis, HRA Educational Assistant Ray Vanstone, Principal Brent Anderson, student Chase Muntz. KARI JANZEN PHOTOS Kari Janzen Staff Reporter
Since the beginning of October, students at Holden Rural Academy (HRA) worked hard to raise a total of $9,680 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation before Nov. 4, with the motivation to see staff members’ hair dyed pink at certain increments on the fundraiser thermometer. HRA Educational Assistant and fundraiser organizer Ray Vanstone said that he thought that raising money for the Stollery would be a great community building activity for the students to participate in. “I wanted to try to build up school spirit and get HRA out into the community, so that people can see that we care about our community,” Vanstone said. HRA’s goal was $2,000
and Vanstone said he never imagined they would raise over $9,000. “At the beginning it was a little slow, and I thought that maybe two grand was a little high, but then it snowballed from there, and took off. I’m really impressed at how everybody stepped up, helped out, spread the word, and thank you to those who got their hair dyed too,” he said. The first line at $250 would see a grade 12 student get her hair dyed pink, Vanstone at $500, teacher Miss Julia Hoffman at $1,000, maintenance manager Kory Keohane at $1,500, and Principal Brent Anderson would have his hair dyed if the student body could raise $2,000. At the celebration and hair dyeing assembly held Thursday, Nov. 20, Anderson said that he soon told the students that the line with his
Seated, L-R: HRA Educational Assistant Ray Vanstone, Principal Brent Anderson, teacher Julia Hoffman, maintenance manager Kory Keohane, Superintendent Wes Oginski. Standing: Administrative Assistant Nicole Suchy and HRA student Cheyenne Suchy. name was actually a moving target. “I would like to say that, on behalf of the staff, I'm amazed that you raised $9,680. For a
school of this size to hit that target is unbelievable,” he said. Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation Youth Philanthropy Ad-
visor Tannis Tulis was present at the assembly and expressed gratitude and amazement at the student’s accomplishment. “It’s amazing to see
what a small but mighty school can do and the impact that we can have at the hospital,” Tulis said.