WE Club members at Pe Ell School pose with presents they bought and wrapped to gift to kids in the community during school Tuesday afternoon.
Seven years ago, the superintendent of the Pe Ell School District asked Dawna Robinson, a history teacher, to look into WE Day, an international organization focussed on empowering people of all ages to make a positive difference. After learning of the organization and its mission Robinson, or “Mrs. Rob,” as the students call her, began the WE Club at the Pe Ell School.
Through the club, Robinson had the opportunity to take her students to the first ever WE Day event in the United States organized by Toronto-based charity Free The Children back in 2013. The event, which took place at Key Arena in Seattle, hosted appearances and speeches from celebrities such as Macklemore, Jennifer Hudson, Russell Wilson, and many more.
“We try to really instill in our kids to pay it forward. We sometimes in our WE Club have had kids that are from situations that aren’t always perfect,” said Robinson. “They have received things from our community, but to actually be on the other side of it and be part of somebody that can give something it really shows a kid the perspective of how wonderful that feels.”
The all-girls club started with about 10 students and has since doubled in size, and so has the donation amount they will be giving back to the community. This year, the club purchased about $2,000 in gifts, which were wrapped on Tuesday and later handed out by students and faculty on Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re a small community so it’s nice to help out locally,” said Kelsey Lennox, an English teacher heavily involved in the club. “I think it’s a great program to help these kids open their eyes to the world, and things that are going around, to help them realize paying it forward is a positive concept.”
The students in the class were eager to help and excited to handout the gifts after all their work and planning.
“I can’t wait to see the parent’s faces when we hand them their kids’ gifts,” said student Ava Bush. “Some families couldn’t afford gifts, so we got them, so it’s going to be super exciting.”
