Members of the community came together Monday morning for the announcement of a $14,000 donation to the Red Deer Public School District on behalf of the Build a Kid to Cure and Golf a Kid To Cure organizations.

The donation came after the organizations approached the schools asking how they could help.

“We sent a wish list to the Build a Cure Foundation, feeling like a kid at Christmas,” said Mark Jones, principal of Central Middle School.

He added that they totaled the costs of the food programs and sent it onward.

“You never expect to get all of what you asked for, but you (Build a Cure Foundation) got it all for us,” he told representatives.

The money will be put towards breakfast and snack programs in six of the City’s schools.

“Often times we will give students a glass of milk in the morning and it will be the first glass of milk they’ve drank since the day before when they were here,” explained Jones. “And it’s not through any fault of their own, but we just live in a busy society where mornings are busy times when you’re trying to get ready for work and school.”

The programs aim to help students start their day off right by ensuring that they get an adequate meal before school.

“There are students all over that come to school in the morning without a proper meal to start their day so this money helps us to provide that proper meal to our students,” said Jones.

He stated that the food programs offered in schools offer vast benefits to their students’ needs aside from easing their hunger.

“We’ve noticed huge amounts of improvement in students’ attendance since we’ve started this program,” said Jones, adding that “Students are arriving on time or early because they know in order to have the program they have to be here before the school bell rings.”

Not only are students more likely to be on time, schools with food programs also notice a higher level in academic standings in students who are ensured breakfast before class.

The food programs offer a full range of breakfast foods such as toast, cereal, milk, cheese and all sorts of juices and fruit.

“Truly from the bottom of the students’ hearts and their stomachs too, we wish to thank you for thinking of us because it allows us to put our breakfast coordinators at ease that the money is there because we don’t have to be out there pounding the pavement to make it happen. So this money is truly a gift,” said Jones.

“It means a lot to a whole host of students who otherwise wouldn’t get breakfast, so on behalf of our schools and students we wish to thank the Foundation because you have truly touched their lives today. “

jswan@reddeerexpress.com