HJ Cody School students have come up with a unique way of funding their worldly travels and will hold a flower sale on May 9 — one day before Mother’s Day.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the students will sell a variety of potted flowers outside in the school's parking lot, or inside near the school's office.
The funds raised will go towards the school's Travel Club. HJ Cody School teacher Kelsey Wilson said the students have an overall goal of selling $10,000 worth of flowers on the day.
The money raised will help them with funds for a community trip to Ecuador, and for school trips to places such as France.
Wilson said the flowers come from Ever-Green Greenhouses in Red Deer and are very high quality. She said the students sold $6,000 worth of poinsettia flowers last Christmas, breaking a record at Ever-Green Greenhouses, and some people still have the flowers.
“It's the only chance to get Ever-Green Greenhouses products here in town, and they are very high quality products,” Wilson said. “This is a one-day special sale for us only and we're the only school that's using Ever-Green Greenhouses in all of Sylvan Lake.”
Wilson said the students will sell 11-inch premium hanging baskets for $25 and 12-inch premium patio planters for $35. The students will make about 30 or 40 per cent profit off the flowers they sell, Wilson said.
As proceeds from the event will go into the Travel Club, Wilson said she wants to emphasize the fact that traveling around the world is educational.
“World travelling is one of the best educations a student can get,” Wilson said. “With people's support, they can help a student see a part of the world they might not otherwise be able to see.”
She added travelling allows students to experience cultural heritage and learn about history.
The trips the students go on range from $5,000 to $6,000, but Wilson said going to another country to learn about it is different than just reading about it.
“I've been to 36 countries and have been able to learn so much,” Wilson said “To read about Vimy Ridge in a textbook is one thing, but to stand there and see where the men came off the boats and faced the gunfire is completely different. It's the real life experience. To taste the food, smell the air and try the language is completely different than to read about it.”