Penticton high school students hope to support U.S. counterparts in gun reform march

PENTICTON – Three Penticton high school students hope to stand in solidarity with their American counterparts in an effort to change gun laws in that country.

Hussain Sattar, 17, Sarah Wood, 16, and Reese Fuller, 16, are making plans to travel to Spokane, Washington to take part in a march for gun reform on March 24.

The three Princess Margaret Secondary School students want to help make meaningful change and stand with American students in solidarity.

“I feel personally we should be there with them," Hussain says.

While not a school sanctioned event, he says the student-planned trip does have the school's support, he says.

Hussain recently started a GoFundMe page as part of their efforts to raise the $300 per student needed to pay for the trip. They are also planning to hold bake sales and bottle drives during spring break in mid-March.

If the students don't end up heading down to the Spokane march, all the money they raise will go to their American counterparts.

Hussain says the three have been in contact with march organizers in Spokane, and have arranged to meet with students there prior to the march.

“We plan to represent Canada and the Okanagan when we go down," he says. "We hope to have an opportunity to speak as well, but that’s to be decided yet."

“There are 15 to 20 students who are strongly excited about this idea, and we’re going to get more students involved and interested in it soon."


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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