Pictured above are the cakes that were made as a surprise gift from the Northern store, for the graduating Class of 2020.
Newly graduated Grade 12 students in Pinawa, MB, received a special surprise: a graduation ceremony thrown by the local Northern store, with help from the community.
Due to COVID-19, the Pinawa Secondary School students could not receive a traditional ceremony. So the community found an innovative way to celebrate them. Each student was given a specially baked cake, decorated with each student’s favorite colour, their names and a special message congratulating them.
The idea arose during an online video chat between Pinawa Store Manager Lisa Thomas, the school district and some parents while they were discussing ideas that they could use to ensure the graduating Class of 2020 received a memorable graduation ceremony.
The students absolutely loved the grad event and called it the best graduation ceremony they could have hoped for. Social media was flooded with overjoyed students posting pictures alongside their cakes!
The cakes were a graduation gift from the Northern store, made by community member Brenda Jansson, who provided them to Northern through her local bakery business. The parents of the graduating students picked up the cakes and surprised the grads with them on June 19 – which that would have been the last day of school for the students.
“It seems that this year we needed to think out of the box so much more for young people and the struggles they have been going through being isolated. But as a community, we came together. After the cake giveaway, several other businesses also reached out to the students with gifts!” shared Thomas, whose own son was one of the graduating students. “As a parent, I also organized a golf cart parade for them, after their social distanced ceremony, so that the community could be out on the streets to congratulate the students. This was an amazing event that was very well attended.” The School District and its staff were also integral to the efficiency in the planning process.