Shawn Arsenault’s Grade 6 class was hard at work last month raising money for one of their schoolmates.
The students raised $407.12 by organizing dances, bake sales and movie screenings at their school, as part of their community engagement project.
And on Nov. 21, the class presented Hjalmar Tiesenhausen, Bella Tiesenhausen’s father, with a check.
Bella is a Jasper Elementary School student suffering from Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy. The condition has left Bella with developmental delays, deficient gross and fine motor skills, neural-developmental delay and cognitive impairment.
During the check presentation, which took place during a school assembly, a representative of Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge’s Unifor Local 4534 worker’s union surprised the class by not only matching its donation, but bringing it up to an even $1,000 in the union’s name.
A smiling Tiesenhausen said the money will help support his family as Bella undergoes expensive stem cell treatments abroad. So far the treatments have improved Bella’s condition, and Tiesenhausen said he hopes she will eventually have more.
Tiesenhausen said the town of Jasper has been “awesome” to his family, and thanked Arsenault’s class warmly.
“To the Grade 6 students; this is awesome and we really appreciate it,” he said.
Trevor Nichols
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