Pupils from 6 primary schools in Pontefract, all part of Pontefract Academies Trust, were invited to a special awards ceremony at the Mayor’s office on Thursday to celebrate the incredible fundraising effort they and other schools in the local area contributed to.
Organised by The Prince of Wales Hospice, the ceremony celebrated £61,000 being raised from one event alone – a Reindeer Run. In December, children were encouraged to run, dance, skip or hop and get sponsored for doing so.
The schools invited included Carleton Park Junior & Infant School, De Lacy Primary School, Halfpenny Lane Junior, Infant & Nursery School, Larks Hill Junior & Infant School, Orchard Head Junior, Infant & Nursery School, and The Rookeries Carleton Junior, Infant & Nursery School. Two representatives from each school attended, and all had the opportunity to meet Cllr Tracey Austin, Mayor of Wakefield, and receive a special Mayor Says Thanks award. This was the first time this award had ever been given out.
Rebecca Taylor, Community and Partnerships Fundraiser at The Prince of Wales Hospice, said: “We are blown away with how much has been raised from this one-off event. The children in our local area have done us proud, and this amount will make such a significant difference to the hospice. It only felt right that the schools were recognised for this phenomenal effort. We couldn’t do what we do without support like this. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”