Distraction Drive toy donation total from Riverstone School (Photo courtesy EverythingGP Staff)

By Erika Rolling

Season of Giving

Over 1500 toys collected by Riverstone Public School for Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation

Dec 19, 2022 | 1:49 PM

Children through Kindergarten to Grade 8 at the Riverstone Public School made a large donation to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation on Monday after wrapping up their Distraction Drive.

1,572 items such as; plushies, puzzles, colouring books, toy cars, and more were collected for the Distraction Drive in every classroom at Riverstone with coordination by the school’s Leadership Committee.

Grade 7 student from Riverstone, Emma Montpellier says she joined the Leadership Committee “I thought it would be fun to help out with things that people might extra help with.”

Toys collected by Riverstone Public School students for Distraction Drive

She says it’s heartwarming to know all the items collected are going to children that are stuck in hospital beds.

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Executive Director for the GPRHF Keith Curtis says the season of giving… keeps giving.

“It’s such a warm welcoming community and everybody gives so much from their heart. They know their neighbors… community… the needs, and they just come through without even asking.”

Curtis notes that the pediatric beds at the new hospital are running at 117% capacity.

He says with donations like these, “it just means everybody who is in the hospital now and through the Christmas season will get a little bit more in being able to feel like they are connected to their community and families.”

Toys collected by Riverstone Public School students for Distraction Drive

The top three classes that brought in the most donations were rewarded with pizza parties, which were: 1 – 1L, 2 – 6E, and 3 – 5/6Z.

Curtis says with the younger generation being philanthropists now, “I know as I get older and will need more and more medical care, I’ve got a great group of people and youth behind our medical and healthcare system.”