A Grade 8 student at École George-McDowell in the Louis Riel School Division has received a life-changing gift thanks to a province-wide community effort — one she helped inspire.

Laila, a wheelchair user and long-time advocate for the Tabs for Wheelchairs program, was presented with a new power wheelchair during a school ceremony on Monday. The initiative, which collects aluminum can tabs to raise funds for mobility devices, has been a passion project for Laila for several years.

“She was heavily involved in the initiative,” said Rachel Niziol, a teacher at École George-McDowell. “She really promoted it at her previous school, St. Germain, and helped make it a big thing here too.”

Now, after helping others get new wheelchairs, Laila has been rewarded with a well-deserved chair of her own. Laila’s new wheelchair was funded through the collection of approximately 20 million tabs — a feat made possible by contributions from schools and businesses across Manitoba. The ceremony featured a backdrop of 360 sandbag-sized sacks of tabs, each holding about 50,000.

The school community rallied behind the cause with a month-long competition to see which class could collect the most tabs. In just four weeks, students filled 27 bags.

“I honestly thought we’d maybe fill half a bag,” said Niziol. “My whole office was filled with tabs. There were boxes and bags everywhere.”

Laila learned she would be this year’s recipient last June. Her involvement in the program and her need for greater independence as she transitions to high school made her a natural choice.

“She’s very humble,” said Niziol. “But the look of pride on her face when she got her chair — it was such a great moment.”

The new power chair has already made a visible difference in Laila’s daily life.

“To see her moving around on her own, visiting friends, even just going to grab a paper — she hasn’t been able to do those things,” said Niziol.

The event not only marked a milestone for Laila, but also showcased the strength of community and student engagement within the Louis Riel School Division.