WE DAY: Federal Way schools to send 1,200 students

The upcoming star-studded youth empowerment festival We Day Seattle is coming to KeyArena on March 27. More than 15,000 students gain admission not with tickets, but through community service.

It’s safe to say that Federal Way schools have embraced the We Day challenge.

The upcoming star-studded youth empowerment festival We Day Seattle is coming to KeyArena on March 27. More than 15,000 students gain admission not with tickets, but through community service.

Federal Way Public Schools will send about 1,200 students to the inaugural U.S. event.

“Federal Way schools are so involved in so many ways, and they are some of our biggest champions in Washington state,” said We Day spokeswoman Lauren Stasila.

This week, a rumor floated around that the Decatur High School Jazz Choir was invited to share the stage with Oscar- and Grammy-winning performer Jennifer Hudson. We Day organizers have yet to confirm the details. Decatur choir director Steve Gorringe described his students’ reaction to the possible opportunity as “hysteria.”

About We Day Seattle

In October 2012, Free the Children co-founder Craig Kielburger announced the first U.S. We Day during an assembly at Federal Way High School.

Since 2007, thousands of teens have filled stadiums across Canada for Free the Children’s We Day. Celebrities such as NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, Virgin CEO Richard Branson, and pop star Justin Bieber have helped deliver We Day’s message of philanthropy and social change.

Students at all levels in Federal Way schools have performed a number of service projects in the run-up to the We Day event. That includes several food drives (We Scare Hunger) as well as adopting a village in Sierra Leone that needs access to education, clean water and food.

We Day lineup

• Jennifer Hudson, Oscar and Grammy winning performer

• Magic Johnson, NBA hall of fame legend and community activist

• Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks head coach and co-chair of We Day Seattle

• Seattle Seahawks players Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, John Moffitt and Russell Okung

• Martin Sheen, Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor and activist

• Mia Farrow , award-winning actress, activist and United Nations ambassador

• Martin Luther King III, civil rights activist and oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

• Gary Payton, nine-time NBA All-Star and former player for the Seattle SuperSonics

• JR Martinez, American actor, motivational speaker and former U.S. Army soldier

• Nelly Furtado, Grammy award-winning musician and Free The Children ambassador

• The Tenors, multi-platinum vocal group

• Kid President, 8-year-old Robbie Novak, YouTube sensation

• MC Hammer, 1990s hip-hop icon, businessman and tech entrepreneur

• Hedley, multi-platinum, award-winning musicians

• Munro Chambers and Melinda Shankar cast members from the hit television series “Degrassi” and We Day Seattle hosts

• Craig and Marc Kielburger, co-founders, Free The Children

• Spencer West, Me to We motivational speaker who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro on his hands in 2012

• Molly Burke, visually impaired Me to We motivational speaker

• Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee

• Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn

• Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, co-title sponsor of We Day Seattle

• Tanios Viviani, Amway, President of the Americas, Co-Title Sponsor of We Day Seattle

This report contains information from previous Mirror reports.