Oakville student helping Canadian athletes to dream big
Holly Micuda may one day be an Olympic athlete, but for now, the 11-year-old is happy to help others live their dreams. The Grade 5 student from Oakville turned a simple class assignment into a mission to assist Canadian competitors. The assignment in February was to write an essay on the funding situation for Canadian athletes, but Holly took it one step further and created wristbands, with all proceeds going to the Canadian Athletes Now Fund, which provides financial support to those training for the Games. “I think athletes deserve more funding because it means a lot to get up on the podium and hear the Canadian anthem,” Holly said. It also means a lot to people like Holly, who was glued to her television during the last two Olympics and hopes to be an figure skater by the 2014 Games. “I’m dreaming big,” said Holly, who recently got to meet her favourite Olympian, hockey goalie Sami Jo Small. The wristbands are red and white and read, “Don’t just hope they’ll win, help them win!” on the inside. Holly’s plan was initially rejected by the school because it didn’t involve a registered charity. When she returned home, she did some digging and discovered the Canadian Athletes Now Fund. Gold medal-winning speed skater Clara Hughes has donated $5,000 to help Holly reach her goal of selling 500,000 wristbands. She has sold 7,500 so far. Wristbands are available for $3 each on www.CanadianAthletesNow.ca
