We Day 2011: Inspiration, Compassion, and Idealism

This is what a stadium full of 20,000 inspired young people looks like.

Today I had the privilege of attending We Day in Toronto, and as expected the annual event did not disappoint! The energy in the crowd was electric, the speakers were inspiring, and the performers were outstanding.

The message of the day was clear: be the change you want to see in the world. Learn how you can make a difference; whether it’s locally or internationally. In many ways, this is exactly what Degrassi stands for. More than anything, Degrassi is a show about acceptance and education. It’s about learning about the different issues that young people deal with and bringing understanding and compassion.

It was no surprise that almost the entire cast of Degrassi was in attendance. I spent most of my day in the press area with stars like Nelly Furtado and Kardinal Offishall. But I have heard that the cast was Degrassi was spotted around the venue by multiple fans. Munro Chambers and Aislinn Paul spoke to the audience about their recent trip to Haiti. You can watch a clip of their speech below. They also previewed scenes from Degrassi In Haiti, and it looks very emotional!

The highlight of the day was when Nelly Furtado announced that she was donating $1 million to Free The Children. It was so unexpected, and the audience went insane. It was very inspiring to see how committed she is to empowering girls and ensuring that girls around the world receive a proper education. I had the privilege of attending the press conference with Nelly Furtado and FTC founder Craig Kielburger later in the day. Check out video clips from that on our YouTube Channel!! I also have a few more videos to post, so keep checking for lots of amazing We Day coverage!!