Marching for their lives

A lot of teenagers might be looking forward to their Spring Break as just that — a break — but a group of Penticton students are using their time off to stand in solidarity against gun violence in the United States.

Sarah Wood and Husain Sattar are leadership students at Princess Margaret Secondary. When they saw the news on Feb. 14 that 17 students and staff members had been gunned down at a Florida high school, they felt compelled to act. 

They learned of a movement called March for our Lives, happening concurrently in cities all over the U.S. on March 24, in favour of gun control and against gun violence. They decided to try and fundraise to be able to drive down and join in.

"When we set up the GoFundMe, I really wasn't expecting to get barely anything," said Sarah Wood, one of the two student organizers. "And we ended up raising about $400 on the page and about $500 in person."

They will be using the money to pay for transportation for about 15 students to Spokane, WA, the nearest location of a March for our Lives event. They have also received an offer from a local in Spokane to pay for their hotel rooms.

Wood and Sattar are thrilled to be lending their voices to their American student counterparts, calling it an important cause. 

"Youth in schools are now just feeling unsafe in their high schools, which is not ok, school is for learning and making friends," Wood said. "It's going to be a really cool experience to be part of a march and something that is going to be a big thing in history."

"I'm just excited to go down and make sure their voices are being heard but also saying, I'm there with you guys, and representing Canada and the Okanagan," Sattar said. "And do something that's student-led, and not adult-led."

The students' GoFundMe can be found here. They will be leaving for Spokane on Friday, March 23.