Erskine students ignored the gathering clouds to participate in the annual Hank Boer Fun Run to raise money for the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.
Patti Standage and Hank Boer, a former teacher at the school, created the run six years ago. It originally started at Buffalo Lake, but Standage and Boer decided to get the whole school involved.
Each child brings a loonie or toonie to participate in the run.
“We thought to raise money, to get the kids interested in running and get them into giving and being socially conscious…we (would start) this little fun run,” Standage said.
Cara Herbert and Jodi McCord, who have children at Erskine School, both spoke about their experiences with the hospital. McCord’s son had heart problems, and Herbert’s daughter’s skull didn’t form properly after birth.
“We don’t have a lot of the specific needs for children met at general hospitals,” Herbert said. “They’re hands down one of the best places that I know of in Alberta that specialize in what children need.”
In her presentation, Herbert talked about how her daughter had to be in the hospital over Christmas, and Santa visited and brought her toys.
“I hope they get fun and a sense of social conscience,” Standage said. “It’s exercise for the health of it, it’s the best thing ever, and they’ll know all about the Stollery.”