We Day

Imagine 30,000 kids packed tightly into the Xcel Energy Center, ready to rock and roll. The music is blaring familiar tunes and kids are dancing, ready for a party. To me, this sounds like a rock concert, but these kids are not here for that. They are here to make a difference. On November 3, 550 different schools went to the Xcel Energy Center for We Day, a day where students came together because they all made a difference in the World

Mrs. Dahlin, who is the advisor of the Student Council defined We Day as, “A celebration to celebrate the accomplishments that the schools/students did last year.” To go, the students had to accomplish two tasks: one; fundraise and create an impact on your community, and two; fundraise and create an impact on the world. But Cannon Falls did much more than just that. They raised over $1,500 for breast cancer, around 1 ton of items for the local food shelf, and 2,400 items were donated to the local homeless shelter. “And,” Mrs. Dahlin said with a smile, “We were able to donate over $3,000 to a village that we adopted in Kenya. The money went toward building a school for eighth graders.” Those that were eligible and helped with the fundraising at Cannon were from the Middle School and High School Student Council, along with Interact and NHS.

“It is a great privilege to attend We Day, as tickets are not sold, you have to earn them and are invited.” Mrs. Dahlan stated, and Cannon Falls kids definitely did earn them. Finally, the big day arrived, and Cannon Falls students were able to celebrate with other students from around Minnesota who also made a difference. “I was super excited for WE Day but I wasn’t really sure what to expect!” exclaimed Katie Noble, Senior and President of the High School Student Council. “My favorite part about WE Day was all of the inspirational speakers that were there. They taught me that it doesn’t matter how smart, rich, talented, etc. you are, if you want to change the world all you need to have is a dream.” These key note speakers included Chelsea Clinton, Lily Collins, Marlee Matlin, Henry Winkler, and Dr. Mae Jemison, former NASA Astronaut. But the kids were also able to have some fun, and listened to popular artists like Ciara, Darren Criss, and Nico and Vinz.

The party doesn’t stop there, students came back ready to spring into action and create a world for the better. “I got home and realized that I really want to put my hands to work. I emailed a guy from a company called “Build Africa” and my hope is that I will be able to partake in building a school in Africa in the near future,” said Noble. “The biggest thing that I took out of WE Day is that  if I want to change the world, it’s me that has to do it. I can’t sit back and wait for others to take action!”

So with this in mind, Cannon Falls students are ready to spring into action, and those who want to join can help out to. “If students are interested in being a part of the We Day group, it would be best to join Student Council or Interact.” Mrs. Dahlin stated. Look at the school calendar and be prepared for the next activities that will make a difference, such as We are Silent at the end November and Diabetes Awareness month. Overall, the students who were rocking out weren’t your typical status quo teenagers, they are cunning, inspired, and ready to take action to turn this world of ours into a better place.