A group of School District 43 students will be drumming for a cause Friday and they'll lose some sleep over it, too.
Dozens of drummers from SD43 and surrounding school districts will be up all night drumming and singing traditional First Nations songs as part of the first ever 24-Hour Drum at Riverside secondary in Port Coquitlam. Funds raised during the event will go to providing sports equipment for remote aboriginal communities.
Members of the public are also invited to attend the event from 3 to 10 p.m. Friday and bring food or cash donations for the Share Family and Community Services' food bank.
"The students will be celebrating aboriginal culture through drum and song," explained Rob Cowie, a co-ordinator with School District 43's aboriginal program. "You'll find we have a large population of urban aboriginals and for the students it's a means to connect to their culture."
In addition to students from SD43, drummers from Delta, Langley and Maple Ridge are expected to attend, with approximately 150 students taking turns drumming and singing throughout the night.
The SD43 aboriginal drumming group is new this school year and includes approximately 30 students from across the district who practise weekly at Riverside. Cowie also co-ordinates an elementary group of drummers from PoCo's James Park elementary.
Although still in their infancy, the two groups have already had two public performances: Some of the high school students performed at the opening of the Port Coquitlam museum at Leigh Square and the younger drummers helped officially open the new James Park school.
Funds raised from the 24 hour drum go to the Aboriginal Pay it Forward group started by aboriginal leadership student Morgan Anson from Gleneagle secondary. Cultural vendors will also have products and displays at the event.
