Their hearts were truly in the right place.
The 2014-2015 Fine Arts Firsties – as the first graders in the Fine Arts program at White Rock Elementary are known – outdid the record of last year's class in raising money for the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society.
The Hearts for Hope campaign, in which the students created, painted and sold unique clay hearts at the school's Fall Fair, raised a total of $1,078.50 for the society.
A cheque for that amount was presented to the society's Jennifer McCaffrey at the 'thank you' assembly held at the school last month.
Originally inspired by the passing of well-known White Rock homeless man Ryan Ashe in 2013, the first Hearts for Hope campaign – guided by the 'Firsties' teacher Venessa Bentley – raised $970 at the fall fair in October of that year.
That accomplishment won the 2013-2014 Fine Arts Firsties, and Bentley, recognition from the City of Surrey as "heroes of the homeless."
The money raised by this year's class handily surpassed their goal of $1,000.
"They had a desire to help our most vulnerable residents," McCaffrey.
"That's incredibly inspiring – a great message for the whole community to learn from and appreciate. The money the children donated will go directly into the community and have an impact."
Since its establishment in 2007, the society, committed to funding projects that will reduce homelessness in Surrey, has invested more than $2 million into supporting the community.
To learn more about the society, or make a donation, visit http://surreyhomeless.ca/