Students and teachers at Marymount Academy all came together to truly share what Christmas is about; spreading joy and love to everyone.

While this holiday season will be different with COVID-19, our Canadian Forces are always putting themselves in harm’s way to ensure we can spend the holidays with our families. Creating Christmas cards for the Canadian Armed Forces is something we did as a school to share the holiday spirit with them. We are forever grateful for their sacrifices and service.

Christmas is a time when you want to be surrounded by love and family. For the Canadian troops overseas, this must be a very difficult time and although we can’t all understand, we can empathize and help support in any way possible. This year we have decided to create Christmas cards for the Canadian Troops and send joy to them during the holidays. Students have been busy making cards this week and last in hopes of spreading love and cheer this holiday season. The cards will be mailed out this Friday, December 4 to the military headquarters in Belleville, where they will be then deployed to different locations around the world where our troops are stationed. We have come together as a community of students to share in the Christmas spirit as we will be sending 3500 Christmas cards out to the troops.

Ms. Gattoni, the teacher who spearheaded this thoughtful gesture at Marymount shared that “we were truly overwhelmed by the amount of cards students were making. The beautiful and thoughtful messages and warm wishes they included for the Canadian Forces truly demonstrates what wonderful and caring students we have at Marymount.”

Each year, YMCAs across Canada celebrate acts of peace by recognizing individuals and groups who, without any special resources, status, wealth or position, have demonstrated a commitment to building peace within their community or communities elsewhere in the world. During YMCA Peace Week, held during November, local peacemaker(s) receive special recognition and a medal at Peace Medal ceremonies across Canada.

This year, our very own, Milena Raso, a Grade 12 student at Marymount Academy, was awarded the YMCA PEACE Medal Recipient in the Youth Category.

Milena has been volunteering for 9 years and has been actively involved in raising funds for the Northern Cancer Foundation, Sudbury Hospice Care, Children’s Wish Foundation, Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer, Black Youth Helpline and Sudbury Alzheimer’s Society. Milena also founded the Stomach Cancer Fund, alongside her family and in memory of her father.

In March, when her Co-op placement was cancelled due to Covid-19 she came up with a creative idea to earn her credit. During the school closure period, Milena spent hundreds of hours making masks for the Sudbury community donating $5000 to NOFCC (Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer). In addition, with her fundraising efforts, she fully funded two nurse chairs for the Northeast Cancer Centre.
To date, she has raised more than $20 000 for local charities.

“Milena exemplifies the traits and characteristics that makes her the perfect recipient for this award. She is actively involved within the Sudbury community and consistently demonstrates and lives out our Catholic values. The Marymount community is extremely proud of Milena and all Regals, past and present, want to congratulate her on her accomplishment,” said Cassandra Trenbergen, Principal at Marymount Academy.

“We are all very proud of Milena’s accomplishment, she is most deserving of this recognition not only for her years of dedication but most importantly for her genuine spirit of generosity and care towards others,” said Peter Prochilo, Superintendent of School Effectiveness.