Tom Affleck and SchoolBOX

by Noreen Young

   Tom Affleck is really happy about his “Latin Fiesta” fundraiser for SchoolBox that took place last Friday night at the NLAS Agricultural Hall in Almonte. 

     “It was a wonderful success,” says Tom. “We had a great time and ended up raising $30,694 which is an incredible total - our largest total to date.”  What made this extra exciting for Tom is that he had matching funding from some of his biggest donors, including Equator Coffee Roasters, the Almonte company which so generously sponsored the “Latin Fiesta” event.  The funds raised will go towards supporting SchoolBox, the educational initiative that Tom started in Central America in 2006.

   You’ll find out how this happened at www.schoolbox.ca.  While visiting a tiny coffee-growing village in Northern Nicaragua, Tom gave a young girl a notebook and a pencil that he happened to have with him.  Her father, seeing this gift smiled and said to his daughter, ‘Now that you have a notebook and a pencil, you can go to school this year.’  This simple statement profoundly impacted Tom’s life and eventually led to the creation of SchoolBox.  From this kind gesture, this not-for-profit organization has gone on to help thousands and thousands of South American kids go to school. 

   While SchoolBox has grown tremendously in South America, Tom still thinks of his home town of Almonte as “the heart of SchoolBox” and the basis of his support.  “The community of Almonte was the incubator for SchoolBox”, states Tom.  He was happy to re-connect with the community for the fundraiser and to be with the folks that have been with the project right from the very beginning and helped to make the dream become a reality.  “Being able to spend time with them and to share and celebrate our results was truly amazing,” he says.  His mother, Janette, “an Honorary Board Member”, has been a huge help in keeping things going and encouraging his commitment. 

   He is especially appreciative of the organizers of “Latin Fiesta” including Chair, Katie Cotnam, Mike and Millie Maloney, Robin Morash, Joyce Clinton, Brenda Boyd, Glenna Watts, Doris Wionzek and Stephen Cotnam.  Thanks to Nathan Rudyk and CTV’s Kimothy Walker who hosted the event, the many residents who donated items for the large silent auction, and the entertainers who put together the music program.

   “Latin Fiesta” is an annual event and Tom will certainly be back next year for it.  “But my family is here and my wife’s family is here so we’re both in Almonte fairly often.”  They live part of the time in Toronto where Tom’s wife goes to Ryerson, where their SchoolBox main office is and where the SchoolBox Board of Directors meet.  The rest of the time they live in Managua, Nicaragua.  “From Managua, we go out to our various SchoolBox  communities in the country.  We have 49 communities that we work with in various parts of the country and so, in any given time, we’ll be building a school in one of them or partnering with others who already have our schools up and running.”

   For those who wish to help Tom, you can give a donation of money or your time. Those people who wish to come to Nicaragua and actually help build schools are very welcome.