Thousands of students packed Toronto’s Air Canada Centre Thursday for the annual “We Day,” a global youth movement that celebrates a yearlong commitment to volunteering. Started by Free the Children founders, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger, the first We Day event was held in Toronto in 2007. Approximately 8,000 youth took part that year. Along with Craig and Marc, Colonel Chris Hadfield was there to inspire the students.
Since the first We Day event, the one-day party has grown to include more than a dozen cities, including Montreal, Vancouver and Seattle. A number of big-name celebrities have also lent their star-power to the event.
Guests at this year’s star-studded party in Toronto include pop singers Joe Jonas, Lights, Canadian rapper Kardinall Offishall, and retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. Many of the attendees posted photographs of the guests this year as they shared inspiring messages to continue volunteering in the future.
To attend a We Day event, students don’t buy tickets, but instead earn their way to the “party” by taking part in a year-long initiative called the We Act. The program offers students and teachers with free educational materials to create student-led campaigns that support local and global causes.