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NewsADHS campaign brings star Rick Mercer to Almonte for 'Spread the Net Student Challenge'

ADHS campaign brings star Rick Mercer to Almonte for 'Spread the Net Student Challenge'

with information from the ADHS and Eastern Ontario websites

Canadian comedian and television personality Rick Mercer and his production crew will be filming at Almonte and District High School this Tuesday, March 19th (the show will air on April 2nd).  The excitement will begin at 9:00 am.

A group of students from ADHS raised money for the Spread the Net Student Challenge, a national initiative co-founded by Mercer that encourages fundraising for life-saving, insecticide-treated bed nets for families threatened by malaria who live in Guinea, West Africa.

The Spread the Net Student Challenge, which began September 18, 2012 and ended February 28 2013, in partnership with Plan Canada, invited elementary, secondary and post-secondary students across Canada to host fundraising events that help raise awareness and money for the cause.

According to one student involved, one net costs only $10 to purchase and ship to Guinea.

“It’s such a good charity, but it’s also extremely simple to participate in,” said grade 12 student Margot Denis. “One bed net that can last five years and cover five children at once; it’s so easy to remedy.”

Margot said she and a few friends were inspired to start the school’s Spread the Net group.

“We’re big fans of Rick Mercer, and we just wanted to get involved,” Margot commented. “It’s been so positive, and people are really enthusiastic about it.”

Margot said the group’s largest fundraiser was a coffee house event held at the Almonte Old Town Hall before Christmas. The event featured 20 performers, many volunteers, an art auction, a Christmas ornament sale, and a bake sale.

“Since then, we’ve been trying to get people involved in simple things at school,” she said. “It’s been going quite well.”

Winners from each category will meet Rick Mercer, and potentially appear on an episode of The Rick Mercer Report.

Photo courtesy of ADHS website

The ADHS student team of Colleen Stratford-Kurus, Margot Denis, Shelby Featherston, and Laura Barrass,  raised $5760, which can finance 576 nets! The Millstone congratulates the enterprising students of ADHS.

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