All with Love
DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years AGO
Coeur d'Alene High School freshmen Elliana Rietze, right, Ava Yates, center, and Carlie Flowers wave signs at traffic Wednesday to encourage donations for the All for AWL bedding and blanket drive. CHS and Lake City students have created a new charitable tradition in the absence of the Fight for the Fish spirit challenge, which was canceled by COVID.
DEVIN WEEKS/Press
Coeur d'Alene High School ASB President Holly Hudson stands among bags and boxes of donations on Wednesday as she shares details about the successful All for AWL campaign working with Lake City High to serve the community this month in lieu of the Fight for the Fish spirit competition.
From left, junior Kalena Flowers, ASB president and senior Holly Hudson and seniors Owen Smith, Mckenzie Mattis, Lilian Smith and Chris Swider run the hygiene drive at Coeur d'Alene High School on Jan. 20.
Baby items, blankets, warm clothing and feminine hygiene items are among the numerous bags and boxes of donations the Lake City High School student body collected while working with Coeur d'Alene High during the All for AWL Month of Giving.
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | January 28, 2021 1:07 AM
Usually, in January, Coeur d'Alene and Lake City high students have a particular fish on their minds.
But this is not a usual year, so student leadership has been creative in how the schools can show their spirit without a fight, or a fish, between them.
For CHS and LCHS, this is the Month of Giving and the year of All for AWL — All with Love.
"We are so happy to be able to show that we are united as a community during this hard time," LCHS senior and ASB President Luci Dixon said Tuesday. "Our community supports us so much, so it is great that we can give back to them through the Month of Giving."
Students have spent the month leaning into the spirit of unity, community and service through clothing, hygiene and bedding drives to benefit Kootenai Humane Society, Village of Hope, Union Gospel Mission Center for Women and Children and the St. Vincent de Paul Warming Center.
Wednesdays have served as community days in the CHS parking lot, where student representatives have been on site collecting items from generous donors.
"I feel like it's a great way to substitute things during COVID," CHS freshman Ava Yates said Wednesday, standing with peers at the CHS driveway entrance and waving "donate here" signs at passing drivers.
"It's good to help people in need, especially during these hard times," Ava said.
CHS ASB President Holly Hudson said the name for the campaign, All for AWL, came from student council adviser Tara Nelson.
"We wanted this to be something that stands on its own," Holly said. "We love the idea, All for AWL, it's what this project stands for, is for love."
She said student leadership is doing what it can to include the entire school in projects like this, since so much has been canceled or postponed.
"This year's actually been super fun, even though we haven't had the same events as normal," Holly said.
She said All for AWL is based on unity, within and between the high schools.
"We thought it would be better to combine our efforts and bring us together at this time rather than constantly be in competition," Holly said. "That's the whole point of this."
"Don’t get me wrong, we miss Fight for the Fish, but we’re glad to be able to work together in such a positive way," Luci said.
The students will be distributing the collected donations to local charities Wednesday.
ARTICLES BY DEVIN WEEKS
Coeur d'Alene schools no-phone policy up for debate Monday
Coeur d'Alene Schools no-phone policy to be discussed Monday
Students don't really pass paper notes in class anymore. They have computers at their fingertips in the form of smartphones and other personal electronic devices. Texting and social media have replaced the origami-folded paper notes of yesteryear for student-to-student communication. The Coeur d'Alene School District is restricting use of cell phones during the school day, including during lunch and passing periods, which prompted Coeur d'Alene High School student Ryan Drappo to launch a change.org petition opposing the ban. More than 1,700 people had signed it by Friday afternoon.
Hospice of North Idaho celebrates record-breaking event
The 40th year turned out to be the finest. Hospice of North Idaho hosted a successful sold-out soirée Feb. 1, raising an all-time best of more than $276,000 at the 40th annual Wine Taste and Auction at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.
Lakeland schools to explore four-day school week
Families in the Lakeland Joint School District will soon be asked their opinions about a four-day school week. Trustees directed Superintendent Lisa Arnold Wednesday evening to gather information about transitioning to a four-day school week, which will be explored as the district faces funding losses following the failure of its $9.52 million-per-year supplemental levy.