Congrats to the health-care assistant and practical nursing students who organized their first free community blood pressure clinic earlier this month.
More than 70 people dropped in to have their blood pressure checked by Sprott Shaw College students, who hosted the clinic at River Market on Friday, March 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The overall sentiment at the event was positive, with participants seeming grateful to the students for volunteering their time to discuss their readings and circulatory health in general,” noted a press release about the event.
Students in Sprott’s early childhood education program were also on hand with an arts and crafts table for wee ones whose parents were having their blood pressure checked.
Because of the success of this clinic, the school expects it’ll host another clinic sometime in the fall.
Volunteers and donations needed for dry grad
Are you a parent of a Grade 12 student at New Westminster Secondary School? Well, the dry grad committee needs your help.
The committee is in the midst of fundraising for the annual alcohol-free grad party and is having a hard time recruiting parents to pitch in. Parents are needed for a couple of upcoming fundraisers, including a pub night on Friday, April 1.
But the event the committee is most desperate for help is the dry grad party itself on Wednesday, June 29. For this event, the committee is actually looking for volunteers from the community at large as most Grade 12 parents will be at the graduation ceremony, which precedes the alcohol-free event.
Lori Jenvey, one of the committee members, said it takes about 35 to 50 people to run the dry grad event, which takes place at the Queensborough Community Centre from 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
The committee is also looking for businesses interested in donating to the event, which costs about $30,000 to put on.
Any parents or businesses wanting to lend a hand are asked to contact Lori Jenvey via email at [email protected].
Speaking of dry grad
There’s still time to donate to the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch’s dry grad fundraiser.
Until March 31, B.C. liquor stores are collecting donations for alcohol-free grad celebrations, including New Westminster, with 100 per cent of the donations collected being divided amongst dry grad events across the province. Last year, more than $400,000 was dispersed to high schools hosting dry grad events.
You have until next Thursday to donate in New West. There are two locations in the city: Royal Square, 800 McBride Blvd., open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Columbia Square, 1075 Columbia St., which is open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
