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Remembering mom

West Shore elementary student raises funds to honour mom who died from cancer
90286goldstreamCarly-1PJun0612
Carly Bernays

This year, schoolwork at Wishart elementary school hit close to home for Carly Bernays.

Each year, Grade 6 students at Wishart elementary school start a business and give the profits to charity.

The money raised this year will go the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, in memory of Bernays’ mother Paula Bernays, and former Wishart teacher Dana O’Dowd. Both women died from the disease.

Bernays lost her mom when she was only four.

“It kinda sucks,” said the 12-year-old, who also lost her father with she was two. “I don’t want that to happen to other people.”

The Grade 6 students have been learning about business through the Junior Achievement program, A Business of Our Own. Colwood businessman Don Rugg, of View West Marketing, helped mentor the class.

“I am teaching the kids to run a business. They learn about setting up the store, merchandising, sales and bookkeeping,” Rugg said.

The students chose to sell stuffed animals at the school. What was going to be a one-day affair has been extended into next week.

Initially they ordered just under 200 stuffed toys and have now ordered 300 more to meet the demands.

“The more money raised, the more research can be done,” said Marilyn Bernays, Carly’s grandmother and guardian since she lost her parents.

Bernays has been overwhelmed from the support of her classmates.

“From just one classroom we got like $100,” she said.

Bernays would like to ask the public to donate to breast cancer research in memory of her mother.

For more information, go to www.cbcf.org.

reporter@goldstreamgazette.com