Kids and community baked their way to Bracebridge this past week, with Royal Oak Community School’s Mother’s Day fundraiser securing sleepaway camp spots for students who’d otherwise miss lakeside hikes and canoe paddles.
The student-led fundraiser at 176 Wellington St. collected $2,105 through baked goods, raffles and donations. Though Royal Oaks projected to raise around $3,000 and surpass last year’s $2,500, the $2,105 will significantly reduce the costs the school will need to pull from their own budget.
Proceeds will send older students to Camp Muskoka, a sleepaway camp in Bracebridge, while funding hands-on local activities for younger grades like Mad Science workshops, yoga picnics, trips to Virgil’s splash pad and educational restaurant visits.
“Our students fundraise to do something that maybe they wouldn’t be able to do. So a lot of these kids usually wouldn’t go to camp, but this is their opportunity,” said Laureen Dennis, assistant head of school.
Alumni and local businesses like the Oban Inn and Frosted Cupcake donated some baked items. Raffle prizes included a Shaw Cafe dinner and Copacabana gift cards.
Royal Oaks student Leo Green, 9, summed it up: “It’s not just helping the school — it also helps your appetite.”
Graduating student Westin Ridesic, who has attended the camp four times before, called the camp a memorable experience, which “everyone comes back loving.”
“It’s at the end of the year, and it’s like a nice final goodbye to the school year — especially for the graduates,” said Ridesic.
The school, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, operates from the historic Niagara Hospital building.
Dennis called the school a “hidden gem” of the community that prioritizes inquiry-based learning and community ties.
“All of Niagara-on-the-Lake is like our outdoor classroom,” she said.
Funds will also support weekly coffee cafes run by students, reinforcing the school’s ethos of hands-on engagement.
