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FYI

Bella Black, 15, Bakes Up Big Ten Campaign To Raise $100K

Fifteen-year-old Bella Black is not only making a difference: she’s baking a difference.

Bella Black, 15, Bakes Up Big Ten Campaign To Raise $100K

By Nick Krewen

Fifteen-year-old Bella Black is not only making a difference: she’s baking a difference. For 10 years, she has been hosting Bella's Bake Sale in Toronto on her family’s driveway in their Beaches neighbourhood, selling cupcakes, cookies and other pastries in order to raise over $100,000 to build schools in developing countries, via WE Charity.


Now, she’s launching her most ambitious project: To commemorate her 10th year of philanthropy and being in Grade 10, the Malvern Collegiate Institute student has initiated The Big Ten campaign. Her goal is to raise enough money over a single school year to finance the construction of 10 schoolhouses, which cost $10,000 each.

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She holds her bake sale two weeks after the school year begins but continues to “sell” virtual cupcakes via donation on her web site, issuing a tax receipt for $10 or more.

“I want people to settle in first at school, then when I announce the bake sale and that I am raising money for kids who don’t have a school to go to, it hits hard,” Black, one smart cookie, tells Samaritanmag.

So far, Black, who only just turned 15 on Dec. 26, has financed the construction of four schools in Kenya (one through a program called Change Heroes), two in India, two in Haiti, one in Nicaragua and one in rural China. – Continue reading this Nick Krewen feature here.

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Jairus Sharif
Matt Wallace via Jairus Sharif / Instagram

Jairus Sharif

Awards

Calgary Jazz Artist Jairus Sharif Wins the First-Ever Meridian Prize

Sharif's album Basis of Unity is the first recipient of the FACTOR-partnered award that recognizes an album of exceptional artistic achievement from Western and Northern Canada. The award was presented at BreakOut West in Victoria this weekend (Oct. 3).

Jairus Sharif has won the first-ever Meridian Prize.

This weekend, the Calgary experimental jazz musician was awarded the inaugural Meridian Prize for his 2025 album Basis of Unity at BreakOut West festival and conference in Victoria, British Columbia. The brand new prize was introduced this year to recognize an album of exceptional artistic achievement from Western and Northern Canada, serving a similar role as the Polaris Music Prize. In addition to a trophy, Sharif also receives a $5,000 honorarium.

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