Peel board students, staff fundraise to send hope to Pakistan

Board asks government to extend deadline for school donations to be matched

TORONTO, Aug. 31 /CNW/ - The Peel District School Board has set Sept. 21 as Toonie Tuesday to send hope to Pakistan. Many Peel board schools are participating in the voluntary campaign and funds raised will support UNICEF's relief efforts. The board has sent a letter to the government requesting the deadline be extended so that schools are able to have their donations matched.

"Our students are tremendously giving and care deeply about the world around them," says Janet McDougald, chair of the board. "It's important that the government support the generosity of our young people and extend the deadline so that school donations will also be matched. By setting the Sept. 12 deadline, the government has excluded schools from having donations matched. Although I'm sure this wasn't intentional, the government needs to be reminded of the great work schools do to help when humanitarian emergencies arise."

To help the people in Pakistan begin to rebuild their lives, the Peel board is sending a message of hope. On Sept. 21, every student, staff member and parent is invited to contribute a loonie or toonie to support relief efforts in the region. This is a completely voluntary campaign.

All of the funds collected will be sent to Unicef. Unicef has been on the ground in Pakistan since 1948 and had prepositioned emergency suppliers that were ready to deploy when the floods hit.

The Peel board serves more than 150,000 students in kindergarten to grade 12. Operating 233 schools in the municipalities of Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga, the Peel board is the largest employer in Peel. The board's annual budget is $1.3 billion. For more information, visit the board's website, www.peelschools.org.

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