| Students walk for Darfur |
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| Written by Nicole Garner | |
| Wednesday, 08 October 2008 | |
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Thirty high school students from Bonnyville Centralized and Grand Centre high schools walked 20 kilometres from Ardmore to Bonnyville on Sunday to raise awareness of the genocide happening in the Darfur region of the Sudan. The local Walk for Darfur was inspired by a larger walk started by Grant MacEwan College students two years ago. Those students walked 300 kilometres over eight days from Calgary to Edmonton to raise awareness of the situation in Darfur. One of the founders of the Walk for Darfur, Ravi Jaipaul, attended the rally held at BCHS after the local walk. Jaipaul has done the walk from Calgary to Edmonton twice and said no one should have to walk anymore because the genocide should have been stopped. Unfortunately, the conflict that started in 2003 is still continuing. “We’re watching a genocide happen,” he said. “Our government, people with the power to change things, aren’t doing so.” Jaipaul said it won’t be one big gesture from a politician that changes things, it will be a number of small movements around the world, ones like the walk held in the Lakeland on Sunday. “That one simple act of walking a stretch of highway on a Sunday afternoon means a lot,” he said. “Bonnyville, Alberta is forever changed by this day.” The rally also featured performances by Andrew and James, and The Brothers Grimm, who per- formed “SUDAN” a rap song about the crisis in Darfur and how everyone can take action. In addition to raising awareness, the walk and rally also raised money for victims of the Darfur conflict. BCHS students raised $2,500. A total for Grand Centre was not available at press time. Also inside this week's Bonnyville Nouvelle: * out and about with Dave Hutton * Winners of the Nouvelle's Cutest Pet Contest * Senior abuse — often silent, always dangerous * Little idle time for award winners * A letter wedding at Duclos school * Slamming the door on bullying To read these stories, pick up a copy of the Bonnyville Nouvelle at local retailers or call our office to subscribe. Readers in Cold Lake can purchase a Nouvelle at Norlite IDA, Red Rooster, Esso and Value Drug Mart in the Tri-City Mall. |
