Match Day to support Friends of McCoy being held today

Match Day 22 is on today in an effort to raise money to build a theatre at Monsignor McCoy High School.

“It is unbelievable the amount of awareness that has been developed over the last few weeks with this Match Day,” said Helen Snortland, co-chair of the Friends of McCoy Society. “We have cheques and cash ready to bank. We’ve had emails from alumni and heard from those in the community.”

Students at Monsignor McCoy High School have been busy fundraising. Last week they ran Loonie Days, selling hats and popcorn, an entire week of festivities that continued into this week.

Other schools are getting into the spirit as well. Students have been walking around with Match Day buckets and different activities have been allowed, such as chewing gum, if they bring a loonie to donate.

“Several years ago a parent in the Catholic system, Mrs. Jeney Gordon, appeared before the board to see if the board was interested in working with the McCoy Football Booster Club to raise money and apply for grants to build a new football clubhouse,” Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education trustee David Leahy wrote by email about the genesis of the theatre project. “Trustee Kathy Glasgo, who with a number of other people have been dreaming for several decades of building a theatre at Monsignor McCoy, suggested a joint project to raise funds for a football clubhouse and a theatre. Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Glasgo were joined by a small but dedicated group of volunteers in bringing new life to the Friends of McCoy Society, who have been spearheading the project ever since.”

Food trucks will be on site at McCoy starting at 10 a.m. for those looking to make a donation in person. Alternatively, the MHCBE office or all other schools in the division will also be accepting donations today. An anonymous donor will match all money contributed. The fundraising goal set by Friends of McCoy is $1 million.

SAMANTHA JOHNSON, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Medicine Hat News