The entire student body of Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School has much to be proud of. Over the past couple of weeks, the students have rallied to kick off the Mackenzie Rooney Memorial Scholarship Fund. Mackenzie Rooney was a Bishop Alexander CSSS student who passed away last year. The students and staff wanted to do something in Mackenzie’s name to keep her legacy alive.
Beginning with a pep rally hosted by the New Hot 93.5’s G-rant – the students were challenged to raise $20,000, and proceeded to raise as much money as they could through a series of fundraisers and community canvassing. To end off the event, the students, joined by Mackenzie’s parents, participated in a memorial walk from the Metro parking lot in Valley East back to their school – approximately 8.3 km. All donning pink toques as it was Mackenzie’s favourite colour, the students were led by staff from Zumba-Vibe for a pre-walk warm up, and then the Greater Sudbury Police Services escorted the group back to their school. Once they had returned, the students enjoyed a barbeque and revealed the grand total raised to go towards the fund.
“For our students to have raised well-over $16,000 for this fund is absolutely incredible,” Cassandra MacGregor, Principal of the school explained. “The entire Bishop ACCSS community united together for a great cause, and I am so proud of their efforts. I am sure that Mackenzie would be just as proud. I am so privileged to work with such an incredible staff, and with such an enthusiastic and passionate group of students.”

On Wednesday, October 23, Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School principal Cassandra MacGregor was taken away in handcuffs by their school liaison officer, Victor LaRoux. As part of the school’s memorial fundraiser for Mackenzie Rooney (a BACCSS student who passed away on August 6, 2012 at the age of 16), MacGregor was met at the school by LaRoux, handcuffed and taken to the Greater Sudbury Police Station and booked. MacGregor had to raise at least $1000 in order to be release as part of her own fundraising challenge for the fundraiser. By the end of the day, MacGregor suppassed her goal of $1000 by collecting $$1243.15 to add to the school’s collective total as the students and staff have been canvassing their neighbourhoods for the past week. The group is capping off this fundraising drive on Tuesday, October 29 with a entire school Zumba session in the Hanmer Metro parking lot and then just over an 8 km walk back to the school. The students will be joined that day by Mackenzie Rooney’s parents.