Students
had raised money for homeless youths, food for the hungry, goats for
women in Kenya and countless other causes over the past year. Their
payoff came Wednesday, when 18,000 like-minded Minnesota youths packed
the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for the second annual We Day
celebration.
The
energetic crowd cheered with approval as more than a dozen speakers and
celebrities urged them to continue their work, part of a global
movement advocated by We Day organizers.
“We
all have personal challenges, those that keep us up at night,” said
Clemantine Wamariya, a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda in the
mid-1990s told them. “But we still show up to serve others.”
Since
the first We Day Minnesota last fall, students from more than 550
Minnesota schools have participated in one local and one global service
project — which in turn gave them a ticket to the We Day celebration.
They
volunteered 167,000 hours of community service and raised $378,250 for
causes both local and global, said Dean Phillips, state co-chairman of
the event.
Gov.
Mark Dayton
proclaimed Nov. 12 We Day Minnesota, in honor of the volunteer blitz.
National Basketball Association legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson offered
words of encouragement — and announced a surprise $1 million donation to
build schools in Africa.
Kweku
Mandela, grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela,
told the packed center that his grandfather paid tribute to the “heroism
of youth” the day he was released from prison. He called upon the
“young lions” present to set forth and make the world a better place.
In the crowd cheering from the bleachers was Vivianna Russ, an 11-year-old from
Minnetonka Middle School West.
“The
people here are so inspirational,” she said. “Everyone has gone through
their own struggles in life. And they’ve all recovered. It’s pretty
amazing.”
Kyaw
Hywe and Yussef Elsawy, both children of immigrants attending Humboldt
High School in St. Paul, said it felt good to be able to give back to
their communities through a food drive.
“It tells the world we can make a difference,” said Elsawy.
From Farmington to Kenya
Their
stories were among hundreds represented in the bleachers. For example,
Farmington High School and the Farmington School District raised over
$10,000 to build schools in Kenya.
Johnson
High School in St. Paul participated in the “We Scare Hunger” food
drive, an anti-distracted-driving campaign, a blood drive and more.
St.
Paul City Middle School collected food donations, volunteered at Bethel
Nursing home and collected more than $500 to support a school in
Ecuador.
“Today’s
generation of young people, the Me to We generation — have the power to
create and lead real systemic change through We Day,” said We Day
co-founder Craig Kielburger.
“Over
200,000 students coast to coast, from 5,000 schools, earn their tickets
to We Day by committing to take action on local and global causes they
care about. They are truly moving the needle on some of today’s most
important issues.”
Kielburger
and his brother Marc Kielburger, of Canada, created Free the Children
in 1995 when they were just in middle school. Over the years, it
mushroomed into a national Canadian youth movement, packing
auditorium-sized events for student volunteers.
The
group expanded from its Canadian base to the United States last year.
Minnesota was among its first venues, given its national status for
community volunteerism.
Teachers see difference
Phillips, the Minnesota co-chair, said an unexpected result has been that teachers are reporting renewed inspiration as well.
Bev
Antilley, a teacher at Minnetonka Middle School East, agreed. She said
she was surprised by some of her students’ generosity.
“It lets you see the good in the kids, to see them in a different light,” Antilley said.
A
news conference during the event drew a variety of student reporters.
One was Aly Swanson, a sixth-grader from Wells, Minn. She addressed her
question to Kielburger and actor Martin Sheen, who is known for his
social and political activism and is a veteran of 12 We Days nationally.
“I live in a town of 2,000 people,” Swanson said. “How can I make a difference?”
Kielburger
responded that she could start a service club at school, and that the
Minnesota We Day chapter would give her the tools. She could start a “We
Scare Hunger” campaign, or a “We Are Silent” campaign to call attention
to bullying. She could call the state office, bring in a speaker.
Sheen
told the young reporters that he had to overcome two “traumatic”
experiences in order to participate in We Day — flying in an airplane
and speaking in front of an enormous crowd.
“You have to find in yourself another person,” Sheen said.
That message, of rising above one’s own individual needs to help others, resonated throughout the daylong celebration.
“No
government or individual can solve all our problems,” said Phillips.
“But an army of thousands of young people around the world can make a
difference.”
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