After the recent tragic car accident of Tim Souliere of Portage-du-Fort, the Pontiac community decided they had to do something to support Souliere and his family during this difficult time.

Within days Shawville resident Karissa Alexandria Lynn Ruteledge began a fundraiser on Facebook in order to raise money to support the family.

The Parents’ Voice community group got involved pitching in where they could, but they wanted to do more.

Since two of Soulier’s children attend McDowell elementary school, members of Parents’ Voice thought they could so something to raise funds and involve kids from the school.

Parent and teacher Alina Holmes, a member of Parents’ Voice said “As educators, we immediately [ask] how can we involve our students? How can we make them part of the efforts, and help them understand the meaning of giving back and the meaning of helping the people that are around us.”

On Oct. 13, the school held game day called “Stop, drop and play.” Kids were invited to bring in change from home, which they could then donate for a chance to play games for an hour starting at 1:30 p.m. Donations were encouraged, but the day was also about bringing awareness.

Holmes said, “They were all really excited to bring in their bags [of change]. And my kids this morning were really excited to bring in their little ziplock baggies.”

The organizers see the day really “a kick-off” to more fundraising activities in support of the family.

As Melissa Souliere, Tim’s wife, makes a daily to commute to Ottawa, the school is providing daily lunches free of charge to their two young boys.

The Equity visited Ms. Katelin Hearty’s grade one and two French immersion class to see what the kids were up to during their one hour of play.

Charlotte Corrigan, 6, is “good friends” with Souliere’s youngest, Leeland. She like many of the kids in Ms. Hearty’s class were heavily engaged their game of bingo. Ms. Hearty teaches French immersion so the kids had to know the French words for farm animals in order to place them in the correct square.

Holmes said the day and the fundraiser is important “because it was one ours.” It’s an event “that has severely impacted the lives of a family that is part of our school community,” she said.

Setting aside an hour in the day also facilitates having discussions with students about what is happening, Holmes added.

The Stop, drop and play day managed to raise $1850 for the Facebook fundraising campaign. As of Oct. 26, the Facebook group has managed raise $10,025.

Donations can be made to Timmy’s Troopers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donate/558034601938777/

A group from Home and School and the Parents’ Voice have also started a meal train. “A meal train is when [community members] sign up” to cook meals for a night. Dinners for the family have already been covered for the next two months, Holmes said.

If anyone wants to get involved in the meal train they can reach out to the Parents’ Voice Facebook page.”

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