Page 2 - The Brandon Sun - 2017 Community Leader Awards

2 • COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS
» YOUTH VOLUNTEER AWARD
Clark’s love for animals shines through
BY TYLER CLARKE
Inspired by an abused dog with three legs, Mackenzie “Mac”
Clark has been on a mission to help animals for about half his
life and counting.
At age six, Clark, now 12 years of age, came upon someone
walking their dog, Callie, a mixed-breed who suffered abuse so
extreme that it resulted in the amputation of one of her legs.
Curious about the three-legged dog, Clark learned that the
dog’s walker was fostering Callie through the Brandon Humane
Society, which pointed the family in the direction of an
organization to support, something Clark has done ever since.
His family’s dogs, Shaggy Gus and Henry, serve as daily
reminders of who his many efforts assist.
In April, Clark launched his Pedal for Paws fundraiser, a
months-long fundraising effort wherein he’d planned on
bicycling 150 kilometres, updating supporters as to his progress
along the way.
He has already doubled this goal and plans on tacking on
additional 150-kilometre goals to keep the effort going in hopes
of meeting his fundraising goal of $3,500.
So far, Clark has raised about $1,500, although he hasn’t yet
accounted for the tins he’s left at various businesses.
About a dozen tins have been set up at local businesses to
collect funds for the effort, with everything going toward the
Brandon Humane Society.
“I’ve loved animals forever,” Clark said. “I think this time it’s
just really easy because biking keeps me active, it’s fun, I can
hang out with my friends when I do it and I just know that it
Hannah Koversky of
St. Augustine’s School
and Brooklyn Maguathi
of Riverview School
recently received Governor
General Caring Canadian
Awards for raising more
than $10,000 to build a
school in Ecuador.
(Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
Koversky and Maguathi inspired to volunteer by WeDay
BY MICHAELA SOLOMON
Hannah Koversky and Brooklyn Maguathi have taken their
friends, families and teachers by storm with their big hearts,
and even bigger goals.
The duo, through many bake sales, lemonade stands, and
craft sales, was able to raise more than $10,000 that will go
toward building either a school or health clinic in Ecuador.
Koversky and Maguathi have been nominated for the
Community Leader Award in the category of Youth Volunteer.
Koversky, a Grade 7 student at St. Augustine School, and
Maguathi, a Grade 5 student at Riverview School, said they
met through Girl Guides. The pair started pursuing their goal
when Koversky was in Grade 4 and Maguathi was just in
Grade 2. As a result of their philanthropic endeavor, the
girls were nominated for the Governor General’s Caring
Canadian Award, which they accepted in Winnipeg last
November.
The two said they were inspired after attending WeDay. The
annual event promotes and encourages youth involvement in
local and global communities.
Maguathi did a school project on Afghanistan in which she
discovered the circumstances faced by girls who attempt to go
THE BRANDON SUN • THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2017
Twelve-year-old Mackenzie
Clark kicked off his first
annual Pedal for Paws
cycling fundraiser for the
Brandon Humane Society
recently with a 10-kilometre
bike ride.
(Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
actually helps out the community and animals.” receive the encouragement.
On learning that he was up for a Brandon Sun Community She said that he was raised with the understanding that life
Leader Award, Clark said that the honour’s both “pretty cool” was about making the world a better place, and that he has
and unexpected. found a means of doing so through his work with fuzzy friends.
“(Pedal for Paws) just started off as just a thing that I did with “I’m proud of him,” she said. “I’m very grateful that he’s
my family over the summer, and I would just do it and I didn’t getting the support where he wants to go off and do some good.”
really expect anything back from it,” he said.
Clark has continued to keep supporters up to date on his
During April’s Pedal for Paws launch, Brandon Humane bicycling progress through the Facebook page “Scales and Tails”
Society manager Tracy Munn sang Clark’s praises, commending @scalesandtailsbrandon and will continue collecting pledges.
him for assisting in fundraising efforts for the past few years.
More information on contributing to the cause can be gathered
"We love Mac," she said. "We consider Mac our ambassador through Facebook messages or by calling Clark at 204-761-5187.
for the shelter. Do you know any other kids his age, or anybody
of any age, who does what that kid does?” » tclarke@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Clark not only loves animals, but he’s doing something about
it, which Munn said sets a good example for others to follow.
While the Brandon Humane Society doesn’t accept volunteers
younger than 16 due to liability concerns, Munn said that she’s
impressed by what Clark has been able to assist them with
anyway.
He has been the top fundraiser at the shelter’s annual Wag-
A-Tail Walk-a-Thon, and Munn said the youngster is simply
“unbelievable.”
“There’s no other word for it,” she said.
This isn’t the first award Clark has been up for, having already
received a Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award and
other distinctions during his six years of fundraising.
“That’s a very sweet thing for them to be doing,” his mother,
Robyn Paulishyn said, adding that while she’s confident he’d
continue volunteer regardless of recognition, it’s nice to see him
to school, and decided to try making a change. Making sure all people have equal opportunities is their
The girls started raising money and planning their eventual biggest goal.
trip to Ecuador through Me to We, who gave them the “Without education you can’t get a good job,” Koversky
resources they needed to make a positive social and said. “Then you can’t provide for yourself or your family.”
environmental impact.
Koversky isn’t sure what the future holds for her yet.
“We’ll be going next summer for two weeks,” Koversky said. Maguathi said she hopes to be a surgeon when she grows up.
While the two are in Ecuador, they’ll be assisting to build
the school or health clinic. » The Brandon Sun
“We sold Christmas ornaments for $20 a piece,” Koversky
said. “They were shaped like little bricks to represent the bricks
of the school we want to build.”
The girls hope their money goes toward a school, because
education is the first step to success.
“I want to make sure that girls can go to school,” Maguathi
said. “It seems like most of the time boys get to go to school
but girls aren’t allowed.”
Between now and their Ecuador trip, the girls are running
a Facebook page called “I Am Strong. I Am Powerful. I Am
A Girl,” through which they are collecting photos for a video.
Women and girls of all ages are invited to send a photo of
themselves accompanied with their age, to the Facebook group,
where they will be compiled into a video to raise awareness
for girls without access to education.