“I am so proud to see kids supporting and helping kids. The event was a huge success and with the official total being raised at $97785 it shows the power that community and youth truly do have.” says Chantel Stefanich, teacher organizer of the Wagathon and Head of Student Leadership at WP Wagner.
On April 24th, W.P Wagner High School revealed a cheque of $97,785 as the outcome of their school’s bikeathon in support of the Ben Stelter Foundation and School Fundraiser.
Leading members of the BSSF were present at the cheque’s revealing and shared their sentiments of the outstanding results of W.P Wagner’s Wagathon.
“I didn’t know how much they raised before, but when I saw that number on the cheque, words cannot explain how happy I was and how proud I was of the students of W.P Wagner High School.,” says Aariz Mawji, Director and Founder of the BSSF. “I was super shocked when I heard that Wagathon selected us as their charity, and I think it’s great that they are supporting a student-led organization.”
Director of Operations Anandita Shah also expressed her revelation at the outcome.
“When the cheque was revealed, Aariz and I were incredibly surprised by the sheer amount of funds that were going towards the cause.” says Shah. “We were astounded by the amount of dedication and effort Wagner had put towards their initiative. We are kids raising money for kids, and we are incredibly thankful for their support towards our cause.”
Wagner High School holds annual bikeathon fundraisers known as “Wagathons” in which they raise money for national and local charities through student-led action. The 2026 charity was the Ben Stelter School Fundraiser, and chosen through a school-wide decision.
“I am so proud to see kids supporting and helping kids. The event was a huge success and with the official total being raised at $97785 it shows the power that community and youth truly do have.” says Chantel Stefanich, teacher organizer of the Wagathon and Head of Student Leadership at WP Wagner. “The efforts that the Wagner students put forth was a testament to the cause and the inspiration of Ben Stelter and the pillars of the foundation. All of the months of work for this event were definitely worth it to see these wonderful results.”
Initially, the high school had made a goal to fundraise $100,000 in support of the BSF and BSSF. With $97785 raised, they drew significantly near.
“Behind Wagathon is not only an enjoyable event, but moreover the deeper meaning and driving force. To be able to have a hand in such an applaudable and considerate cause is something that us Warriors consider ourselves very fortunate for.” says Riya Patel, student organizer of the Wagathon. “This is who Warriors are – we fight for the good of everybody. Student participation and initiative are both the reasons behind why we’re able to do an event this big.”
Student organizer Gurashish Sidhu additionally shared his experience with the fundraiser.
“Participating in this event allows us to think about issues we may typically not worry about in our day to day life.” says Sidhu. “It helps students take responsibility, gain confidence and create empathy and compassion, all of which are essential for our future.”
The outcome of the 2026 Wagathon shows the successful efforts of WP Wagner’s student community and continues the student-led action in support of the Ben Stelter School Fundraiser’s goals to bring awareness to childhood cancer, and to bring Proton Beam Therapy to Canada.
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