Free The Children goes west

Have you heard? Free The Children has opened up an office in Vancouver, B.C.! To celebrate and get to know our amazing new neighbours in B.C., we held an event on May 14 called West Fest.

One thousand young people from the Vancouver area gathered for a night of inspiration and entertainment. Hosted by MTV personality and Free The Children ambassador Jessi Cruickshank, West Fest featured appearances by local music sensations Marianas Trench and Carly Rae Jepsen, along with socially conscious musical artist Louise Kent and inspirational speaker Michel Chikwanine. Meanwhile, students from Handsworth Secondary School in north Vancouver performed their song “It’s Up to You,” along with a music video showcasing their awareness-raisers and fundraisers throughout the year.

West Fest was a fantastic success, but it’s just a sample of what’s to come at one of Free The Children’s largest annual events: Me to We Day Vancouver. Over 12,000 kids from all over B.C. will come together for a day of inspiration and entertainment, leaving with the passion to change the world.

“West Fest is a culmination of everything great about B.C. youth culture—the energy, the fun, the compassion and the incredible creativity that is doing nothing short of changing the world,” says Brielle Morgan, a B.C. youth coordinator.

For more information, visit www.freethechildren.com/westfest.

Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.