Hanna, AB – In response to the recent school shootings in Canada and the US, five students from J.C. Charyk High School took it upon themselves to raise money to help support St John Ambulance’s Therapy Dog program and its outreach in the community. On June 13th, they presented two visiting teams of Therapy Dog volunteers and their canine companions with a donation of $503.30.
Through their own initiative, grade seven students Emma Moulton, Jade Pahl, Neely Antosh, Tatum McCuaig-Vredegoor, and Elizabeth King researched the positive benefits of therapy dogs on injured or suffering individuals and decided to help raise money to put in a donation to St John Ambulance’s Therapy Dog program. “After the shooting, we looked up therapy dogs in Alberta,” said Neely Antosh, “and that’s how we found St John.”
Their teacher, Miss Jaime Campbell, encouraged the girls to take action through her leadership class, though they fundraised on their own time and enlisted the help of sponsors, including East Side Auto Body and IGA, an independent grocery store in the town of Hanna. The students fundraised for an entire month, putting on movie nights at their school theater and holding concession stands for snacks. They also handed out informative pamphlets at school to raise awareness of their cause, as well as information on St John Ambulance’s Therapy Dog program and its outreach in the community.

About St. John Ambulance
St. John Ambulance is an international humanitarian organization and is a foundation of the Order of St. John. As Canada’s standard for excellence in First Aid and CPR services, St. John Ambulance offers innovative programs, ensuring Canadians receive the best quality training. Revenue generated from First Aid/CPR training supports St. John Ambulance’s charitable work.