Thanks Seniors Tea 2011 Volunteers!

Awesome work and a big thank you to everyone who helped make our 2011 Seniors Tea a success! Check out the pictures to the right of this amazing event!

Click the button below to read about the great article in the Edmonton Examiner!

Goldbar community working with McNally teens

By KEVIN MAIMANN, Examiner Staff

The Goldbar Community League is forging a unique new relationship with high school students.

Eight McNally high school teens, led by foods teacher Nelene Massey, took the reins on the community league's 50th annual seniors tea last week.

"It's usually adults in the community league that put these things together. I did nothing, and came back to this absolutely outstanding set-up which was beyond our wildest dreams," says Goldbar's social director Ronda Lisowski, who is also the parent of a McNally student.

"It was just remarkable the work these eight kids did, I've got to say. It was absolutely remarkable. I've been a volunteer for years. You kind of see that and you go, wow.

This relationship could be built in many ways all over the city.

"

After taking care of the setup, students waited on the seniors with tea and food. Entertainment was provided by the Dynamo Dog Club, young singers from Suzuki Charter School, and several speakers including Coun. Ben Henderson.

The annual tea started the year Goldbar's community hall was built, but with the hall closed this year due to proposed renovations, Fulton Place Community League stepped up to host the event.

It was Goldbar's second event in a month to utilize a partnership with McNally students and neighbouring community leagues – the league held a Big Family Fun Day Oct. 1 along with Fulton Place, Capilano and Forest Heights.

Sparked by a conversation Lisowski had with McNally principal Dale Skoreyko, 18 students worked the event to fulfill a volunteer requirement for the IB English program.

Goldbar also got help from boy scouts, non-profit Young Life, and food donated by a nearby Sobeys for the barbecue. "I had this entire event on Oct. 1 run by youth. No adults really had to do anything," Lisowski says.

"It was really quite remarkable."

As a token of their appreciation, Goldbar Community League will make a donation back to McNally school to support its travel club, and the City of Edmonton has chipped in by giving Lisowski leisure centre gift cards to pass on to the students.

Lisowski sees the partnership as something that could be hugely beneficial to community leagues throughout Edmonton.

"You think, there is a high school in every district, there are community leagues floundering for volunteers – this relationship could be built in many ways all over the city," she says.

"That liaison between a community league and a high school just has not happened."