St. Anne's Academy principal Kevin Langevin (L) and Kayla Hermiston on June 24, 2026. (Image Credit: Anthony Corea/CFJC Today)

By Victor Kaisar

Miles for Smiles

St. Anne’s Academy students help raise over $2K for Miles for Smiles charity

Jun 24, 2026 | 4:15 PM

KAMLOOPS — It was a special end of year assembly at St. Anne’s Academy Wednesday (June 24) morning, as students got to see the results of a year-long fundraising initiative.

Elementary students at the Kamloops institution raised over $2,000 for Miles For Smiles during this school year. The charity was founded by St. Anne’s alumna Kayla Hermiston four years ago, and she was presented with a cheque at the assembly.

“It was last summer when I found out and I was so ecstatic that we’d be the charity of choice for this school year,” Hermiston told CFJC Today. “I got to come speak to the elementary and high school classes and it was amazing just seeing all of the kiddos and see what their impact is doing in the community.”

“And honestly, just giving back to the school that I grew up in where I can.”

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Miles For Smiles helps support children and families as they navigate the challenges of childhood cancer. Hermiston said money is donated to children’s hospitals across Canada each year to help fund research initiatives and treatments in oncology departments.

“I started Miles for Smiles in Grade 12 as my capstone project, never imagining it would grow into what it is today,” Hermiston added. “It started out as just our signature event, which is the Colour Run, and we have our fifth annual event coming up on Sunday [and we’re] super stoked for that.

“We registered as an official charity about two years ago and now we’re a local non-profit that raises money for childhood cancer.”

This year’s Colour Run is set to get underway at 9:00 a.m. at Riverside Park. It’ll run until around 12:00 p.m. and participants can either walk or run the five-kilometre course. Kids also have the option of a one-kilometre run.

More information about the Miles for Smiles Colour Run can be found here.

by Victor Kaisar

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St. Anne’s Academy students help raise over $2K for Miles for Smiles charity

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