Sudbury student receives prestigious Diana Award for her humanitarian work

A 14-year old Sudbury student has been recognized internationally for her humanitarian work with an honour called the Diana Award.

Darquise Frappier, a grade nine student at École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur, was awarded the honour for her work in creating a program called "Helping is Caring" when she was in elementary school. She has continued the initiative since then.

"I felt like making this because I wanted to help others," she says.

Frappier says she was inspired to start her program after seeing what her sister, Melanie Rose, had done for the community. Frappier refers to her sister as "her idol."

Frappier's initiative sought to raise funds for various charities through musical performances. She also got local businesses to provide donations to be used in care packages going to an orphanage in Jamaica.

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She was nominated for the award by her squash coach and the Metis Nation of Ontario.

Over the past five years Frappier has been involved in many charitable activities including making clothing donations, volunteering at Big Brothers, and helping at an orphanage in Jamaica.

Frappier says she does all this because she wants to give back and wants others to do the same.

"I feel like not enough people help the community and they really us at this point and I feel like me helping them shows other people that the potential of doing community work and helping others actually benefits everyone," she says.

She also collected 250 soccer balls for the Centre de santé communataire de Sudbury, as well as an orphanage in Jamaica.

Frappier says she's always been inspired by her teachers and wants to become one herself one day.

"I see my teachers as really good people because they help me. So if I become a teacher I would love to help other students to help them learn, help them to make a better environment."

She adds that her teachers encouraged all the students to pick up litter and donate food to food banks.

Frappier says for other people looking to help the community, it's important to do so full heartedly.

"Just do it to help and not to get recognition."

The award she was presented was established in memory of the Princess of Wales, Lady Diana.

Young people between the ages of 9 to 25 are eligible for the award, which is a global recognition for fundraising, volunteering or campaigning against bullying.

In total, Frappier has been able to collect donations valued at a total of $45,000.