Oak Bay High students were rewarded for their giving attitude.

For the third year in a row, the Youth in Philanthropy Award went to Oak Bay High for extraordinary fundraising efforts.

Each year, National Philanthropy Day recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations in the community that are making a difference in the lives of others.

By B次元官网网址渃hanging the world with a giving heart,B次元官网网址� the Oak Bay High 2010 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock fundraising team, led by Carli Swift and Emily Koide, were honoured at a celebration at the Fairmont Empress Hotel Nov. 7.

This is the first year a particular fundraiser has been acknowledged.

B次元官网网址淭he group last year raised an unreal amount,B次元官网网址� said teacher-sponsor Chad Jacques. B次元官网网址淭his one-off effort was absolutely amazing. A bunch of them came in two weeks before school started in August to get started.B次元官网网址�

Jacques said the fundraising team had a short timeline to raise funds for Cops for Cancer.

B次元官网网址淚t was just the timing, the way the school year started, they had two-and-a-half weeks to raise funds. Usually they have three-and-a-half, maybe four weeks. They just said B次元官网网址極K, these are the cards we were dealt, letB次元官网网址檚 work with what we were given.B次元官网网址� They used that as a rallying point to encourage, rather than say, B次元官网网址極K, letB次元官网网址檚 just pack up and give in,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said.

Jacques put that effort into one word: passion.

B次元官网网址淐arli and Emily reinforced why we do this to the other kids. ItB次元官网网址檚 not just to raise money or to get your name in the newspaper,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭he amount raised was a huge increase over last year. We are very, very fortunate. The money raised is just a reflection of their efficiency and resolve. ItB次元官网网址檚 reflected in the numbers theyB次元官网网址檙e able to raise in the community.B次元官网网址� The group topped 2009B次元官网网址檚 donation of $25,000 by $18,000 to raise a total of $43,000. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a huge jump. ItB次元官网网址檚 just mind-blowing,B次元官网网址� said Jacques. This yearB次元官网网址檚 fundraising team learned by their example and raised $45,000 for the 2011 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock team.

B次元官网网址淚n Grade 11, I got involved because it was such a big thing in our school,B次元官网网址� said Swift. B次元官网网址淚 joined the Youth Against Cancer club. I just thought I could help.B次元官网网址� It was through volunteering at Oak Bay High that Swift and Koide met.

B次元官网网址淐arli and I make a really great pair for lots of reasons,B次元官网网址� said Koide, now a student at Dalhousie University. B次元官网网址淲e have our similarities and our differences. We both have the same priorities and work ethic. We donB次元官网网址檛 agree on everything but neither of us is afraid to tell the other when theyB次元官网网址檙e wrong and weB次元官网网址檝e gotten very good at coming to reasonable compromises.

B次元官网网址淢ostly weB次元官网网址檙e a great partnership because we have fun together,B次元官网网址� Koide added.

The two were elected for the position of leaders by their peers.

B次元官网网址淓milyB次元官网网址檚 older sister (Jenny Koide) ran it the year before, but we both went into it knowing we werenB次元官网网址檛 going to do anything else in September,B次元官网网址� said Swift, who is preparing to become a teacher at the University of Victoria.

She took time off of work and both girls suspended other extra curricular activities in order to devote all of their spare time to the project.

B次元官网网址淚 was alway nervous about the tight timeline because of the large amount of activities that we planned to fit into only three weeks,B次元官网网址� Koide said. B次元官网网址淗owever, we worked hard in the months leading up to the campaign preparing everything that we could, so it would be a lot less stressful.B次元官网网址�

The teamB次元官网网址檚 goal was to reach $18,000 by the time the riders arrived at the school, near the end of the tour.

B次元官网网址淲e had a head shave and a silent auction and we knew we were past our goal, then all of the group leaders, including ourselves, were cut off. No one but the three girls who were on the financial team knew how much we had raised. We knew we beat the year before, but not by how much,B次元官网网址� Swift said.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e never had pins and needles before, it was the weirdest feeling,B次元官网网址� she said, describing how she felt when she saw the total. B次元官网网址淚 was shaking, it was absolutely ridiculous.B次元官网网址�

Both girls attribute some of their success to their visit to Camp Goodtimes during the summer.

B次元官网网址淐amp Goodtimes was absolutely unbelievable,B次元官网网址� said Koide. B次元官网网址淚 would say going there made a big difference in the campaign. Our motto was B次元官网网址業tB次元官网网址檚 for the kidsB次元官网网址� and whenever I got stressed out, I would just think about the smiles on the campersB次元官网网址� faces. It makes such a difference if youB次元官网网址檙e going into the campaign wanting to raise the money to make a difference in the lives of as many kids as possible as opposed to wanting to beat another school or something.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淕etting the award is great,B次元官网网址� said Swift. B次元官网网址淏eing singled out is not so much. We always tried to avoid doing anything that was about the two of us. There were 28 group leaders that led various events. Obviously we could not have done this on our own without the whole school behind us.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淎lso the campaign would not have been remotely as successful without the great amount of participation from the school and community,B次元官网网址� added Koide.

editor@oakbaynews.com