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Importance of local food taught through school fundraiser

Ecole Willow Point Elementary gets delivery of fresh vegetables for fundraiser
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Flats of vegetables were delivered to Ecole Willow Point Elementary on Nov. 30. Photo by Marc Kitteringham / Campbell River Mirror

Carrots were piled three feet high and seven feet wide in the corner of a classroom in Ecole Willow Point Elementary school in Campbell River.

In another corner of the room was a similar pile of beets. One desk had boxes of shallots, and teachers were starting to sort through a growing mound of squash. Out in the hall were pallets six feet tall full of potatoes, apples and other vegetables. Teachers, students and parents were bustling around, sorting through the vegetables for what was use-able and bringing them into the classroom.

A few minutes earlier, all these vegetables got dropped off as part of the Fresh to You fundraiser. Ecole Willow Point has taken part in the fundraiser for four years now, and the goal is to bring in vegetables that are sold to school parents. Monies raised are used for various activities in the school, this year a field trip to Mt. Washington. Teacher Louisel Rochefort said that the program has been very successful in previous years.

“It’s very popular and parents are very generous,” she said. “They’re buying lots of bundles.”

The program also gives kids a chance to learn about the importance of eating locally, and where fresh fruit and veggies come from, which is especially poignant this year.

“This year of course with the highway closed, delivery was a bit delayed,” Rochefort said. “It’s important for them to learn about eating locally and that we have wonderful produce here in B.C.”

Parents have chosen between two different sizes of produce bags, which will be delivered just in time for the holidays.

Other Campbell River schools taking part in the fundraiser include Carihi Secondary School, Ecole Des Deux Mondes, Ecole Mer et Montagne, Ecole Phoenix Middle School, Georgia Park Elementary and Pinecrest Elementary.

To learn more about the program, visit www.bcaitc.ca/fresh-you-fundraiser.

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marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com

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Teachers and students set to work sorting through the vegetables for delivery to families. Photo by Marc Kitteringham / Campbell River Mirror
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Chase Day shuttles bags of squash into the sorting area. Photo by Marc Kitteringham / Campbell River Mirror
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Shallots were stacked in the sorting room to be readied for delivery. Photo by Marc Kitteringham / Campbell River Mirror
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Chase Day brings in another load of squash. Photo by Marc Kitteringham / Campbell River Mirror