Danny Leger was just 9 years old when he was hit by a vehicle and killed while riding his bike on July of 2002. His younger sister, Jessica, died in a house fire in September of 2003. She was only 7 years old. Judy Leger founded the Danny and Jessica Angel Foundation in 2004 in memory of her grandchildren. This is a non-profit organization established for the purpose of helping needy children and their families from Belleisle Creek to Moncton. The foundation also provides for breakfast programs in 13 schools, Sussex Middle School being one of them. The foundation gave SMS $600 before Christmas, and another $600 after Christmas.
Raising awareness and money for the foundation is something that the Student Leadership Team takes on every year, for students here know the importance of giving back. Values demonstrated by our leaders throughout our fundraising campaign are absolutely admirable. The Sussex Middle School Student Leadership Team is all about empathy, compassion, dedication, determination, and teamwork. Our motto is “Never underestimate the huge difference small acts of kindness can make.”
Before Christmas, we presented Judy Leger with a cheque of $ 1732 for the foundation. On May 4th, Judy returned to the school to accept a cheque of $2115. Mrs. Leger was extremely touched and appreciative of the $3847 raised for the Danny & Jessica Angel Foundation this school year.
During our cheque presentation on May 4th, ten leaders were recognized, and awarded “Danny & Jessica Spirit Award” medals for their outstanding contributions to our successful campaign. Among the recipients was Tyler Dickinson, a grade 10 SRHS student, and former SMS Student Leader of the Year. Tyler never misses an opportunity to help out and share his knowledge of the foundation he is so passionate about. One of our exemplary grade 8 students and valuable members of the Student Leadership Team is Noah Gibbons Salib. He made and sold paracord bracelets during our campaign, adding $106 to our final total.
How does one small school in one small community make such a big difference?A whole lot of school spirit and pride, hard work, and a passion to make a difference. SMS would like to extend a very special thank you to Sobey’s staff and customers for supporting our fundraising efforts. Your kindness and generosity have been greatly appreciated. The campaign would not have been as successful without you. Bridget Ryan, our Community School Coordinator, also played a key role in our success. Mrs. Ryan is our liaison with the community, and makes sure that we have everything we need to succeed in whatever project we take on.
ack row (L- R)
Isaac O’Donnell, Mme LeBlanc, Kelten Fawcett, Noah Gibbons Salib,
Shannon Hall, Esteban Martin Pintado, Megan Northrup, Alexis Moffett, Makya Pearce, Allison Janssen, Malin Smith, Izaac Dalling
Front Row (L-R)
Tyler Babineau, Connor Hickey, Tyler Dickinson, Riley O’Neill, Judy Leger, Kendra Levesque, Emily Folkins, Grace White and Noah Leiper