Reaching ‘Rock Star Status’ in 36 Hours

BY NANCY ESSEBAG-CHRISTIE,COMMUNICATIONS & DIGITAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

After two years of COVID-19 cancellations and Zoom events, LCC students, staff and faculty were beyond eager to celebrate the annual house competition, SHOURAWE. With a focus on fun and team-building activities, many alumni would agree that SHOURAWE was a major highlight of their LCC experience.

To mark the epic comeback of a united SHOURAWE (not divided in cohorts like the previous year), LCC’s advancement team developed the school’s first-ever, 36-hour community building and fundraising event: The Rock YOUR House Giving Challenge.

Funds raised from the challenge supported the muchneeded expansion of our current Design & Innovation Centre, renamed The Centre for Discovery, and boosted the bursary program, which provides future LCC ‘rock stars’ with an opportunity to benefit from all the school has to offer.

The rules were simple: one house point was earned per donor no matter the amount. All donations were matched dollar for dollar up to a total of $45K. The house with the highest number of points by the end of the 36-hour challenge won.

On launch day, our rock star volunteer committee and advancement team woke up bright and early, setting up outside to welcome parents at school drop-off with an appreciated cup of coffee. A rainbow of house flags lined the fences on Royal Avenue and our LCC lion mascot was on hand adding to the energy on campus.

Junior School students, sporting their house-coloured bandanas, were excited to participate in a Rock Paper Scissors competition in the school gym. Online donations quickly came in with “Go House Go!” comments and words of encouragement on our Instagram live segments.

The final 12 hours of the challenge coincided with SHOURAWE on the field. In keeping with tradition, students covered themselves in paint and participated in a series of competitions. From tug of war to potato sack races and the traditional Baillie Run, the crowd was roaring with fists in the air.

SHOURAWE activities were officially over, but four hours of the Rock YOUR House Giving Challenge remained.

Donations were pouring in right down to the wire and we closed out at 8 pm sharp with 610 gifts totalling $109K. Beveridge House may have won the challenge (by one point!) but, in truth, we all came out victorious. We can look forward to having our students stretch their imaginations in our new Centre for Discovery, and we will create more opportunities for students to attend LCC through our bursary program. SHOURAWE was never just about competition between houses… It’s also about the bonds that will last a lifetime and memories made looking back at a time well spent at LCC. Nine LCC houses for one awesome community.

Until next year, LCC!

SPONSORS & MATCHING GIFT DONORS

Fasken

Vogelesang Dancik Family

Hacker Family

Chalabi Family

Kombi

Groupe Park Avenue

PSB Boisjoli

Astoria Group

Sodem Inc.

Triple 5

RBC

Servomax

Mobilia

ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Karyn Lassner (Co-chair), Isabelle Poirier (Co-chair), Angela Auclair, Robyn Amiel, Andrea Arthurs, Megan Clarke ’07, Ari Crudo, Constance Guindo, Ken Harris ’98, Natanya Khazzam ’02, Mark Pascal ’92, Adam Ray, Sarrah Sheiner (Pre-U ’97), Elizabeth Stermer