Although three years have passed since the tragic accident in July 2006 that took the lives of Grade 11 Elphinstone Secondary School students Hanna Anderson and Trina Borley, their legacy remains as strong as ever in the hearts of family and friends.
The Fall Fun Fest is coming up on Sept. 16, and the community is invited to join in. The first fun fest was created in September 2006 with the help of teacher Sarah Mani and close friends of Hanna and Trina, as an event to pull the grads and their community together in celebrating the lives of these two amazing girls.
Each year proceeds have gone towards the Hanna and Trina Memorial Bursary. This year funds will go to the bursary to keep it going strong, and the rest of the funds will go to KidSport B.C. to help kids here on the Sunshine Coast, who might otherwise not be able to participate in sports, to get involved by removing financial barriers that might prevent them from playing. The belief of KidSport is that no kid should be left on the sidelines, and all should be given the opportunity to experience the positive benefits of organized sports.
In 2007 more than 47,000 kids in Canada were provided a season of sport. A Sunshine Coast chapter of KidSport has been started by enthusiastic volunteers and their "champions," community members who have donated money to help local kids get involved in sport.
"I think the girls would have liked the idea of contributing to KidSport. They were upstanding citizens, students and athletes," said Mani. "They both shone academically and were extremely hard-working, super well-loved individuals who happened to be best friends, too."
Sports were their passion. They played on the Elphi basketball and volleyball teams, as well as on the Sunshine Coast Volleyball Club team, and on all-star and rep baseball teams.
It is the legacy of sports and academic excellence and citizenship these two girls leave behind that strikes a chord with people in the community.
The Elphi Fall Fun Fest gets underway at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with the annual Elphi teachers vs. Elphi grad students softball slo-pitch game at the Ryan Dempster Field of Dreams.
Then the activities shift to the Elphi field for the pie-a-teacher booth, dunk tank, kissing booth, fish tank, hoop shoot, pitching tent, fortune telling, live music, lots of amazing draw prizes, food, drinks, popcorn, cotton candy and this year's "In Our Hearts Forever" T-shirts.
"The grads run it, and this year the grads of 2010 are just as keen, organized and excited to be part of it," Mani said. "It is a real community event. It helps us remember that Trina and Hanna left a hole at our school, but created a big place in so many peoples hearts forever."
- Submitted
