Students at Blenheim District High School have raised $18,104.17 for the Canadian Cancer Society through a student-led Relay for Life event that more than doubled its original fundraising target.
The Lambton Kent District School Board school had set a goal of $8,000, but exceeded that mark through a full day of activities organized entirely by students in Mr. Pete Kistulinec’s Grade 12 Leadership class, with staff support.
The event ran from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and included a range of activities such as games, track laps, shared meals and reflective moments in support of those affected by cancer. Participants also took part in symbolic gestures, including head-shaving, as part of the fundraising effort.
Principal Elsa Natvik said the initiative was entirely student-driven and reflected the school’s ongoing focus on leadership development.
“This massive undertaking was entirely student-led, and the results speak for themselves,” Natvik said. “As Principal of BDHS, I could not be more proud of our students for their incredible work on this year’s Relay for Life event, which holds a special place in my heart as the last major event of my principalship at BDHS.”
Natvik said the school has prioritized student leadership opportunities in recent years, particularly following pandemic-related disruptions to extracurricular programming.
“Four years ago, the BDHS School Council made developing student leadership a top priority after recognizing a gap in real-world leadership opportunities for students during the COVID restrictions,” she said. “Since implementing that vision, BDHS has offered two Grade 12 leadership classes per year, empowering students to take on large-scale, impactful projects, and this Relay for Life was the students’ proud choice for their main class event.”
She said the final fundraising total underscored the strength of both student commitment and community involvement.
“Seeing our students demonstrate the robust leadership skills they have cultivated throughout the semester was truly inspiring, especially as they blew their initial $8,000 goal completely out of the water to fundraise an astonishing $18,000,” she said.
Student organizers said the event was both challenging and rewarding.
“Organizing Relay for Life, as students, had its conflicts and learning experiences. We overcame those conflicts to put one great event out for our students,” said Travis, a Grade 11 student leader. “After so much work went into the event, it truly makes us proud of what we achieved.”
Toheeb, a Grade 12 student leader, said the group overcame early uncertainty about whether the event could succeed.
“Some of us really didn’t think this event could have worked out but out of pure determination and passion we had for this Relay for Life event, and how well we worked together, we made it work,” he said. “This school hasn’t had this event since 2004, so this gave me a learning experience that even things that look impossible to accomplish are so much easier with a great team.”
The school said the event also reflected strong ties within the BDHS community, where staff and students maintain close relationships.
Local supporters included Black Comb Barbershop, the Blenheim News Tribune, Giant Tiger, Sobeys, Tim Hortons and Wayne’s Pizza and Subs, along with the LKDSB Specialist High Skills Major program and the wider school community.
“An initiative of this magnitude requires immense dedication and hard work,” Natvik said. “Its success is a testament to our students’ resolve and to the generosity of our community.”
Organizers said the event reinforced a central message that emerged throughout the day: meaningful outcomes are achieved when a community works together.
