Rick Mercer congratulates Macville on fundraising

March 10, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
There’s no doubt the students and community of Macville Public School did an amazing job when it came to raising money for Spread the Net.
Those who question that can take it up with Rick Mercer.
The host of the Rick Mercer Report on CBC was at the school Tuesday to congratulate the students on their success and to film a music video, complete with dancing, that will be shown at a later time.
The school raised almost $11,474.85 for the cause.
“You guys did a tremendous job!” he told the student body.
Spread the Net is a Plan Canada initiative aimed at educating and inspiring Canadians to help end preventable malaria deaths in Africa. In addition to increasing awareness, the program raises funds to buy bed nets to help protect youngsters in Africa from mosquitoes as they sleep.
Spread the Net was founded by Mercer and former federal cabinet minister Belinda Stronach, and was acquired by Plan Canada in 2013.
Mercer said he got the idea for the program some years agio, when he was in Africa.
“It was an amazing trip,” he declared, adding he toured a lot of towns in his travels.
Then he came to one town that had farms, but no food, and no children playing. “It was a sad place,” he said, adding the problem was malaria.
Mercer tried to get the kids to understand that a mosquito bite is not a big deal here. A kid who gets one will have a swelling that will itch for a couple of days. But getting one in Africa can make a person very sick. That’s why the bed nets are so important.
“You bought a lot of bed nets,” Mercer told the students. “A lot of kids are going to be safe and healthy because of you at Macville.”
He set up a fundraising competition among schools all over the country, and when it came to elementary schools, there was really no contest.
“Right now, I’m looking at the best elementary school in the entire country,” he told the students.
“You guys saved a lot of lives when you raised a lot of money,” he added.

Rick Mercer drew loud cheers from the Macville Public School student body when he appeared at Tuesday’s assembly.

Several students got up to dance for the video, being filmed by cameraman Don Stence. Abigail Elliott was one of them.

Tuesday’s festivities included another session with students getting to plunk pies in the faces of teachers. Rick Mercer took part in that too. It was Grade 8 student Clark Elliott, who came up with the idea for the funding effort (after hearing about it on the Mercer Report) who got to hit Mercer in the face.
Photos by Bill Rea