PVNCInspires: St. Anne CES student inspires Christmas spirit with SickKids fundraiser

SickKids hospital recognized the extraordinary fundraising efforts of St. Anne CES student Henry Pye in February, who turned his significant medical experience into motivation for successful school Christmas drive.

Pye received a certificate of appreciation from the hospital for his efforts. 

In the spirit of the holiday season, the St. Anne Catholic Elementary School community came together to witness a remarkable display of courage, resilience, and generosity as Pye led the way to raise more than $2,000 for neurosurgery research at SickKids hospital. 

Pye, a Grade 7 student, began his SickKids journey in December 2022 when he underwent brain surgery to treat a tumour. His path to recovery, marked by four months of rehabilitation to regain lost skills, had been anything but linear. Despite facing this adversity, Pye emerged as a beacon of light for his school community, his teacher said.

Pye inverted the idea of a Secret Santa activity in his classroom when he suggested that his Secret Santa contribute money to SickKids instead of giving him a gift. This idea snowballed into a school-wide initiative that became the Christmas Spirit Week fundraiser for St. Anne CES. 

“As his teacher, I am inspired by his strength and resilience on a daily basis,” said Dustin Graham. “He really is a beacon of God’s light in our classroom and school.”

Driven by Pye’s empathy, the class organized spirit days, decorated posters, made announcements, collected funds, and even judged a door decorating contest. Over the course of a week and half, the St. Anne CES community raised more than$2,200 for SickKids. Following spirit week, Pye continued to collect donations via his personal fundraising page which has added an additional $3,900 to the total previously raised.