The east-end’s St. Matthew High School, Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School and St. Peter High School will participate in the Friday, April 25 initiative, which will see staff and students from the Ottawa Catholic School Board share the love around a 4.4-kilometre stretch of the canal, while raising money for cancer research via the Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the CHEO Foundation and the Ottawa Senators Foundation.St. Matt’s initially set a bear hug record noted in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2004, explains teacher and organizer Peter Lamothe, an honour that was later topped by a group of residents in New Mexico, U.S. That first hug initiative also acted as a fundraiser for cancer research, he continues, setting another global record for the most money collected by a high school to support such research (with $108,000), bested two years ago by a Peterborough school. Now, St. Matt’s is looking to reclaim both records, Lamothe adds, and are well on their way to success.
With a fundraising goal for all participant schools of $150,000, St. Matt’s students have been gathering pledges and donations from family, friends and neighbours for the past two weeks, Lamothe says, with some classrooms already raising as much as several thousand dollars.
“I’ve been going door-to-door almost every night,” explains Grade 8 student Simon Tomlinson, who has collected over $1,000 and currently sits as the school’s biggest fundraiser. “I’ve reached my goal, but I want to keep going.”
Using the bear hug project as the launching point for such a massive fundraising effort is “a neat way” of collecting money, continues Grade 8 student Andrew Van der Hoeven, St. Matt’s second-biggest fundraiser, calling the potential record grab a big motivator.
The chance to promote the spirit of co-operation and harmony amongst board schools is another bonus of the upcoming event, adds Lamothe, especially in such a literally touching way.
“I grew up in a hugging family,” he recounts. “(A hug is) an awesome way to start the day.”
Any members of the public eager to join the fun can sign up the day of the event at the Government Conference Centre, continue Lamothe, who stresses that approximately 2,000 extra participants will be needed to ensure their goal of 12,000 huggers is met. An Ottawa Police Service aircraft will be at 5,000 feet to officially document the event for Guinness, he adds.
“We’re calling on the community to help out,” Lamothe says. “Throughout Ottawa, cancer has touched so many lives … it’s extra stimulus to do (the project). We just hope Ottawa’s going to be as excited as we are.”
To sign up for Bear Hug II, go to the Government Conference Centre – across from the Chateau Laurier – at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 25. For more information on the initiative, contact any of the participating schools, or Peter Lamothe at (613) 837-3161.
