Is it possible to actually feel like all those people on the commercial for the over-the-counter-pink medication?  You know the one, five people working in an office dancing to ‘upset stomach, heartburn, nausea, indigestion, and the other one.’  Could one person feel all of these symptoms simultaneously while trying to keep composure during a very special event?

I believe the answer is ‘yes’.

The most amazing day of my teaching career started with an email from Coach of Don, Joanne and the Coach Team.  Coach said he was impressed with our Entrepreneurial Adventure Program, the connections between community and school and the website!  He would love to have one of the kids on the radio to talk about Soap for Hope.   

I called one of my kids, hoping he would be awake enough to answer all the questions.  Even though he didn’t know who they were, he did an excellent job.  My team teacher came into my room to listen and Coach introduced the segment by talking about me…”Tracey Orr is up at Falconridge at Grant MacEwan Elementary doing a project with her grade six class called Soap for Hope. The kick off will be launched today- Crazy Hair Day, where the students hope to see a business plan become reality.”

They started asking questions and you could tell Cole was a little sleepy, but he described the project, the website (www.soapforhope.org) and mentioned the Bank of Montreal.  Don said, ‘I bet your room smells nice, kind of a change for Grade sixes’ and our student agreed.  It was excellent!  It brought us orders and a very generous donation.

At about ten to eleven, the office called my room and said there was a lady at the office that heard our student on the radio and came to the school to buy a package of soap.  I grabbed a box of soap and walked down to the office.  She picked up a package and gave me five twenty-dollar bills.  She said ‘I only want to buy one package and donate the rest.  I heard your student on the radio and he sounded so professional.  I am so impressed with your project that I wanted to drop by and give my support.’  My mouth nearly hit the floor.  I get goose bumps writing about it. 

Later that morning, Coach dropped by and bought soap.  Our finance committee (of one) was tallying on the spreadsheet on the computer and the rest of the day was a blur until the assembly.  Picture a line of eight chairs with our principal, Leslie Lewis,  and her crazy yellow hair on one end and me on the other.  In between sat our area director, MLA, Alderman, and representatives from The Red Cross, the Entrepreneurial Adventure and the Bank of Montreal. I made a little boo-boo and mispronounced our Alderman’s last name.  Never mind, she really just came to see Alex and Jake, the students who first contacted her. Sure enough, after the assembly, she wanted to speak to the students and not me!

The assembly all went off without hitch.  Aside from the feelings of nausea, etc.  From staff and students drumming us in, to the very moving Power Point Presentation it was all good.  It was interesting that across a dark gym, I could see a sea of faces mesmerized with the project. At the end of the presentation there was stillness that hung in the air. Everyone got it. It wasn’t about selling soap- it was about hope.

We had speeches from the representatives and our director spoke of pride.  Shiraz Shariff mentioned a student from the U of C that is going to India and he will give her a package of soap to take with her.  He commended the students and told them they are going to be world leaders.  I couldn’t agree more.  Sue extended her gratitude from the Red Cross and said that Calgary and Southern Alberta has raised over five million dollars in cash donations.  Very powerful!

Our principal closed the assembly (still wearing yellow hair) and told everyone we would be around to all the classrooms selling soap immediately following the assembly.  Our guests came to the table outside the class and bought over a hundred dollars worth of soap and THEN the students were off to all the classes.  They started coming back with fistfuls of cash.  It was incredible.  The looks on their faces told us all.  ‘Ms.  Orr we made a hundred and twenty dollars.’ ‘Ms. Orr we made eighty dollars.’  We had to commandeer a bucket just to put all of the cash into.  When we added it up we were at just under two thousand dollars.  With the Coach’s purchase and with our donations we were over two thousand.  Two thousand dollars in the span of about twenty minutes!  Our Educational Assistant was organizing the bills.  Joti and Nick counted twoonies and loonies and the rest of the class counted.  Cailyn took the total down to our principal,  Mrs. Lewis as she made a couple of afternoon announcements.  Then, the kids took this huge bag of money to the safe.

One month ago we asked  “How can we help people halfway around the world?”  With a classroom turned upside down, the support of community, and some guidance from Entrepreneurial Adventures and the Bank of Montreal we launched a business. The project has been an overwhelming success.   The achievements we witnessed are not only in the funds that were raised.  Students demonstrated leadership and cooperation skills.  They showed us an awareness of how they are connected to the global community.  Our growth is in witnessing the benefits to student learning through an authentic life-learning event.

It was a day I will not soon forget.  All those feelings of nervousness and what came with it are eclipsed by the success of the project and the joy I felt at the end of the day.  

See our website at www.soapforhope.org for additional information and a fundraising update.