Elgin Park students are counting down the days until their next Cycle4 fundraiser, an annual 10-hour spin-a-thon benefitting Peace Arch Hospital's ER.
To promo the event, to be held on May 27, 2015 in the school's gym, the school has released a promo video on YouTube – it's a passionately edited ode to the City of White Rock and its landmarks, from the whale wall to the Pier and beachfront, its greenery, and its hospital.
"I have been a part of this community since I was seven years old," says Sarah Reny, a Grade 12 Elgin student, in the video above. (The video was created by students Gregor Morrison, Mitch Baxter, and Riley Gray.)
"I was born here, I was born in that hospital," Reny says. "For me to be a part of Cycle4: ER, which actually helps that hospital, it makes me feel that I have made a difference to my own care, and to the care of people in my own community."
The students hope to raise $68,000 during Cycle4 across 60 teams and 700 participants, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The money will support the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation and its expansion.
In the past, Cycle4 has raised a total of $151,000 for the foundation, the school says.
The "ER was built in the 1980's to accommodate 20,000 patient visits per year," reads the event's press release, from Elgin. "Today, the ER treats approximately 50,000 patients per year.
"Multiple students and families in our school and community have visited the Emergency Room at Peace Arch Hospital. It is now our time to give back."
The event's top fundraisers will be eligible for prizes, including two airline tickets to anywhere in North America, a Macbook Air, a GoPro video camera, and a PlayStation 4. Hourly draws will dish out prizes for lululemon clothing, pizza, headphones, and gift cards to Starbucks and iTunes, among others.
*The Peace Arch News (Black Press) is a sponsor of Cycle4: ER. Teams can be registered online at the PAH Foundation's website, and you're encouraged to follow the event on Facebook leading up to an through May 27.