It’s a weekend bottle drive in September. Student’s parents and volunteers begin a day of travelling throughout the community, picking up bottles cans and containers which residents have left curbside for the fundraiser. The one-day effort usually raises around $7000 every year.
The money raised goes towards providing bussing for class trips, outdoor Education, library incentives, and classroom learning support like purchasing SMART Boards and additional teaching resources. Funds collected from the bottle drive have even helped to add to the school playground.
It’s been a success, and it’s more than just a bottle drive, it’s community building. That is why, for this coming Fall, organizers of this project were worried. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they decided to cancel the bottle drive. But that didn’t stop organizers of the event from coming up with an alternative.
Leah Switzer is the Chair of the School Community Council, which organizes and hosts the bottle each year.
“It is very disappointing to cancel not only for the financial loss, but it is a great morale builder for the school. We have had a great volunteer turnout for the last few years, and it is wonderful to see the kids pitch in. It’s a chance for parents to visit and get to know one another and for the kids to see the value of what they receive.”
It’s why a “Plan B” was envisioned. It means that this year’s bottle drive will still happen because of community spirit, albeit in a different way.
The Village of Buena Vista already has a drop-off site. These past days and right throughout the summer months, the Village has agreed that that site will collect those recyclables with proceeds going specifically towards the South Shore School bottle drive project. Switzer believes this year’s initiative may feasibly raise even more money for school programming than it has in previous years
“I have not received an update from Buena Vista Parks & Rec, but I definitely believe this could be a record year!”
This record high is partly due to the fact that empties can be dropped off for several weeks with monies going to the South Shore School initiative rather than hosting just a one-day bottle drive, as is usual. It could also be due to reports that the sale of liquor is up by 40-percent in Saskatchewan since quarantine began in April. So it seems likely that recyclable materials will also be more readily available to exchange for cash at places like SARCAN in the city.
“In the past, our school has provided volunteers to Buena Vista Parks & Rec. So now they, in turn, support our school. When it became apparent, we wouldn’t be able to hold our bottle drive this Fall; we reached out to them. The Village responded, agreeing to let residents have the option of using the Buena Vista drop off to benefit our school fundraiser.” Switzer says.
That drop-off site for South Shore residents is at the water tower area in Buena Vista after the regular working hours of 4:30 pm.
Additionally, once SARCAN re-opens for business in the city, Switzer says a Drop & Go account is ready for the school to use.
Residents on the South Shore can drop off bottles and cans at any SARCAN location in Regina using their Drop & Go Kiosk. Follow the prompts to add to the school initiative entitled SCC.
Any order amount deposited at the Drop & Go will be processed and paid directly to South Shore School Community Council.
- By Carol Rose GoldenEagle