OTTAWA -- Health-care workers in Ottawa have been on the front line of COVID-19 for the past nine months, doing everything they can to keep us safe, and one Ottawa school has found a very sweet way to say thank you.
“Our project here is very much focused on thinking about who are the heroes of today,” Says parent Evan Green. “The kids wanted to spread some light to really show them how much they appreciate what they’re doing and how much they love them for what they’re doing.”
The children decided to treat some of the health-care workers to chocolate, to let them know how grateful they are for their services.
“They’ve been in a very challenging situation since last March,” says Rabbi Boruch Perton, Head of School at Torah Day. “Every single day they’re going into hospitals and nursing homes and taking care of people and putting themselves and their families at risk. So, we just want to say thank you.”
The initial campaign was to give 100 chocolate bars to 100 health-care workers in Ottawa; however, with corporate sponsorship stepping in, the plan has grown to 20,000 chocolate bars—one for every health care worker in the city.
Grade five student Sarah Scharf loves the idea.
“It feels good to thank people and what better way to do it than with chocolate,” she said.
The custom-wrapped bars will be arriving at the school later this week and will then be hand-delivered to everyone next week.
“We have a school bus. We’ve got a monster banner that’s going to go on the side of the bus and it says, 'The Chocolate Bus.' Delivering 20,000 chocolate bars to our health-care workers. And in big letters it says, thank you,” says Perton.
Ella Green is in grade seven and says she can't wait to deliver the sweet treats.
“I just want to see the looks on their faces, and I want to be able to say thank you to them, in a way that they’ll enjoy.”
“It’s just great to see all the kids, and the school, and the teachers, and the community get behind this and get working together to spread a little light in what’s really a dark time,” says Evan Green.
The Chocolate Bus will be visiting every major hospital in the Ottawa area next Tuesday.
For more information or to donate visit ottawahealthcareheroes.com.
