TD Bank has donated $1,000 to the Shiraoi Twinning Society (STS) student trip to Japan, which will be rescheduled in 2021 due to COVID-19.
The 10-day student trip had originally been scheduled for this July; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those plans were cancelled, and the society is now making arrangements for the trip to take place in the summer of 2021.
Although the students were disappointed to have to postpone the trip, they are still excited to take part in the cultural exchange next year, and all 15 students who were to take on the adventure this year will be going on the 2021 trip.
Julie-Anne Runge, president of the STS, says the year delay won’t be spent idly — rather, the society will keep on raising funds to make the trip extra special.
“It gives us a little bit more time to do more fundraising and help us make it even more special,” she said.
Runge says every dollar raised helps, and the generous donation from TD Bank will help cover some of the day-to-day expenses the students will incur while travelling and living in Japan.
“That’s going to help offset some of the expense that we have — of course, the flights are very expensive, and then we will be spending a few days travelling around the Japanese countryside, so we will have hotel, travel and food costs there as well,” said Runge.
The trip is a chance for the Quesnel students to learn more about their hometown’s twin city of Shiraoi and Japanese culture first hand, as they will be spending time visiting a local high school and billeting with host families.
“Shiraoi is our twin city to Quesnel, so part of our trip is going to be visiting our twin high school,” said Runge. “Correlieu is twins with Higashi Shiraoi High and so we will be spending two days attending the high school with students there. It’s a really neat way for the students to see the different culture and experience it first hand. All the students will be billeted with a Japanese family and staying with them for four or five days to really experience what life is like in Japan.”
The Quesnel Shiraoi Twinning Society was founded in 1981 to enhance awareness and development between Quesnel and Shiraoi. Since its inception, the society has sponsored more than 300 students for the Japanese exchange program.
READ MORE: Two Quesnel students prepare for Japanese exchange
editor@quesnelobserver.com
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