Pauline Johnson Collegiate Needs Your Votes
After making it through the first round earlier this fall, PJ is one step closer to winning funds that would turn their dream of renovating the school's backfield into a state-of-the-art track and field facility a reality.
Now in the semi-finals of the Aviva Community Fund competition and in the running to receive up to $500,000 for their project, staff and students of PJ Collegiate are calling on residents to help them make it through to the final round. This is support made easy – all it takes is a click on the link below and about 30 seconds of your time to vote. It can't be done without you! Advancement to the finals is based soley on community support and these online votes.
“This project would see a new track and field facility replace our backfield area. Our primary goal is an eight lane synthetic surface running track, which will encompass an inner grass field for sports such as soccer, rugby, field lacrosse and football,” Melanie Kraemer, Student Council Advisor and one of several staff leads on the project, Kraemar said. “Additionally, we’d like to see a bleacher area for spectators, an electronic score board and a field house.”
The goal of this project is much more far-reaching than simply building a new facility; it will not only house PJ’s successful co-curricular program, but also provide a site for elementary schools to hold their track and field meets and, as a regulation-sized field, offer a perfect venue for large-scale events, like the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and various provincial meets.
“The aim of our proposal is in line with the ambitions of the Ontario government of ensuring that students have regular physical activity,” Kraemer adds. “People in the east end do not have ready access to a quality athletics facility … this provides a no-cost physical activity opportunity for many.”
The top 30 proposals chosen from this semi-final round will move to the finals to compete for a portion of the $1 million fund that is up for grabs. An independent judging panel will critique and compare the finalist entries based on several criteria, including feasibility, sustainability and impact on the community.
Finalists will be announced on December 16, and the winners on January 25, 2011. Voting begins on December 2; all residents are urged to get voting! The only way for PJ Collegiate to move on in the competition is through your votes, and once registered, voting takes less than a minute.
Click to vote! This will open in a new browser window.
The Aviva Community Fund is a nationwide competition that provides funding for projects that look to make a positive change in the community.