Efforts to help a Belwood girl achieve her goal of helping the less fortunate might prompt an Elivs tribute artist to say – “thank you – thank you very much.”
While busy with hockey playoffs and school assignments, Sara Woods is also working towards her goal of helping others in Nicaragua this August through the Me to We program.
Woods explained, “I first got involved in the Me to We organization through my elementary school.”
As part of that, Woods went on several trips to an event called We Day in Kitchener – run by Free The Children.
“I have always wanted to travel and go on a trip to help people in less fortunate areas of the world I was already aware the Me to We provides opportunities for this.”
The 16-year-old Grade 11 Centre Wellington District High School student took it upon herself to do the research, and exploring all of the different possibilities and what would interest her about each specific trip.
“I came to the decision that I wanted to go on the Nicaragua youth trip because of the location and all of the different experiences I knew I would get from going on this trip,” said Woods.
While a finalized itinerary has yet to be confirmed, Woods believed her group will be working on building a school.
“While in Nicaragua I will be working alongside community members as well as the other youth on the trip to build a school for a local community.”
Woods stated, “Access to proper education is a big challenge to many Nicaraguan communities and when we are there we will work toward removing this barrier. All of the youth on the trip will be exploring the different culture and environment of the country. We will also be meeting locals and connecting with the children and families in the rural Nicaraguan communities.
But while Woods is in Nicaragua, any homesickness may be lessened by the fact she’ll be working with a familiar face.
Next door neighbour Kara Nixon is also 16 and in Grade 11, and she is also Woods’ teammate on the Grand River Mustangs BB rep hockey team.
They have already done fundraising together (a bottle drive, selling chocolate bars and chicken, etc.).
The coming Elvis Tribute artist Steve Michaels fundraising concert on March 28 at War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph is being done for Woods only, and being organized by her and her parents.
The fundraiser covers the cost which is paid by the participants – roughly $4,000 for the 15-day trip.
For more information about the Me-To-We organization and the types of experiences offered see www.metowe.com/
The following site provides more information on the youth trips – www.metowe.com/volunteer-travel/youth-trips/nicaragua.
For more information or to book a seat at the fundraiser contact ticketwindow.ca or call 1-877-700-3130.
