Grade 8 and 9 students from Vernon Secondary and Kalamalka Secondary schools spent their P.E. classes Thursday helping prepare the community of Coldstream for rising waters.
Low-lying properties along Kalamalka Lake have seen waters rising from the ground and threatening to spill from the lake over the past few days.
The students voted to skip their planned Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park hike in favour of filling sandbags and preparing vulnerable homes for owners who were unable to.
“Just think about all the people who are kinda struggling out there,” said Josh McKeown, a Grade 9 student at Vernon Secondary School. “I think everyone, if they chip in a bit, it makes us better as a whole.”
Vernon Secondary P.E. teacher Germano Brunnelo hopes the kids will learn valuable lessons, as well as getting physical activity.
“I hope they realize you can do things for people for the better good,” Brunnelo said.
“There’s nothing that they need to do for a reward. Sometimes, you just need to do the right thing.”
Residents of the neighbourhood were thrilled to see the kids helping out.
“I think it’s fantastic, I think it’s a show of community support,” said resident Norman Hladun. “It’s wonderful because there’s lots of people who can’t do it all themselves.”
Brunnelo said he will bring the group back next week if the flooding continues.
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