THE Ardenne Alumni Foundation and the Alumni Toronto Chapter recently presented contributions in excess of $250,000 to the Kingston high school, pledging that “no student will go hungry while at school”.

The funds are going directly to the school’s nutrition programme, as part of the foundation’s three-pronged strategy to support student nutrition, scholarships and bursaries, and reduce the school’s high energy bills by solarising the campus.

The cheque was received by Ardenne’s Principal Nadine Molloy and her student leaders, Head Boy Daniel Hutchinson and Head Girl Asheka Robinson at an assembly a week after the start of the new school year.

“The idea that no child at Ardenne will go hungry is absolutely wonderful and I am very pleased that the foundation has now joined other groups supporting us. From this, we will be able to provide better nutrition for our students,” said Molloy.

The proceeds were raised at a fundraiser to launch the Ardenne Alumni Foundation, in October last year. Past student and attorney-at-law Flo Darby, the foundation’s Charter Chairman emphasised the commitment of past students and admirers of the school to continue to support academic excellence, the physical infrastructure of the school and holistic student development.

“We are very excited to be able to give back to the school that has given us so much and has laid the foundation for our own lives. We are putting in plans to raise more funds from our deep base of students both here and in the Diaspora to support our initiatives for Ardenne,” she noted.

She said the Foundation will soon be implementing its Ardenne Excellence Project, and encouraged past students of other high schools to pool their efforts and to go the route of establishing foundations and assist their alma maters as well.

The Ardenne Alumni Foundation is an approved charitable organisation that is empowered to request and receive donations for the advancement and welfare of present and future generations of Ardenne High School students. It works very closely with the local and international chapters of the alumni associations of the school.