Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Our Community: Teen’s letter campaign fights bullying

A teenager wracked with guilt for not doing anything after witnessing an act of bullying has come up with a creative anti-bullying campaign that is catching on with peers and educators.
VKA bullying 0125.jpg
BrEnn Wickheim, 13, was so wracked by guilt after witnessing a friend's bullying that she began her own campaign. “By raising a letter in the middle of my name, I am intentionally making myself different, because this is why most people, kids and adults alike, are bullied,” she says.

A teenager wracked with guilt for not doing anything after witnessing an act of bullying has come up with a creative anti-bullying campaign that is catching on with peers and educators.

Two years ago, BrEnn Wickheim witnessed a friend bully a small girl. Despite being shocked by the behaviour, she didn’t take action at the time. She did end her friendship with the perpetrator but the guilt still lingered.

After attending a workshop that challenged participants to come up with ideas to fight bullying, the 13-year old came up with her Raise A Letter campaign.

“By raising a letter in the middle of my name, I am intentionally making myself different, because this is why most people, kids and adults alike, are bullied,” said Wickheim, who is home-schooled. “The letter I raise, “E”, stands for Empathy. Empathy means to understand and relate to how people feel.”

Wickheim has been inundated with positive responses since she debuted the campaign a year ago.

Her mother, LauRa Barker (the R stands for Respect) soon joined her, followed quickly by most of the teachers at South Island Distance Education School. Last week she also got a call from a representative of the Saanich School District and the office of Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South.

“It’s been very educational,” she said.

In an open letter, the teenager, who is involved with other charity initiatives, makes her case for others to join in her campaign.

“I invite you to join me, raise a letter in your name, take a stand and stop bullying. Together, we can, and will, bring an end to bullying and create a world of acceptance rather than judgment.”

 

Health workers receive major awards

Two Beacon Community Services staff members were recently recognized for their work with major awards in their fields.

Karen Mac, a community health worker was the winner of the inaugural B.C. Care Provider of the Year award. The award recognizes a front-line care provider who has demonstrated a commitment to quality, compassion and excellence in delivering care to one or more residents.

Samantha Gemmell, LPN, manager of the Piercy Respite Hotel received the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation’s Jeanette Funke-Furber Gerontological Award for her work in dementia care. The fund was established by Jeanette Funke-Furber and Robert Furber to further their belief in the importance of continued education for caregivers.

“All of us at Beacon Community Services are incredibly proud of Karen and Samantha,” said Isobel Mackenzie, CEO Beacon Community Services. “These awards are a true reflection of the caring and dedicated work that these two women provide to Beacon’s clients.”

Beacon Community Services is community-based, not-for-profit services agency that offers a wide range of programs and services to clients in the Capital Regional District. For more information, go to beaconcs.ca.

 

Fundraiser creates Appetite for Art

A collaboration between a restaurant and the Sooke Fine Arts Society will see diners feast all of their senses during a unique food and art pairing charity evening on Saturday.

The Mix by Ric’s at the Prestige Hotel, in conjunction with the Sooke Fine Arts Society, are hosting Appetite for Art, an event where diners can appreciate work by local artists in a gallery-style setting while enjoying the artisan canapés that will be created to accompany the artwork. Proceeds from the community event will go towards the Sooke Food Bank and the Sooke Fine Arts Youth Scholarship fund.

“Appetite for Art is a great way to showcase the fantastic talent that we have right here in Sooke and all for a worthy cause,” said Dan Houle, event organizer. “ The town is building a reputation for fine dining as well as fine art, so this seemed like a great way to bring the two together. Our executive chef at The Mix, Ryan Siebert and Sous Chef Adam Guther are both very talented and innovative; I know Ryan and his team are really looking forward to the challenge and we can’t wait to see the results.”

Some of the artists and the chefs will be on hand to talk showgoers through their work. Sommeliers from some B.C. wineries will be on hand pairing fine wines with some of the art.

“The caliber of work submitted really speaks to the wealth of talent in our community, and I do believe the artists are quite excited to see their work echoed in Chef Siebert’s culinary creations,” said Catherine Keogan, executive director of the Sooke Fine Arts Society. “With entry by donation, we are delighted this community collaboration is so accessible to the public, and we invite everyone to join us for this unique experience.”

The artwork on display at the event can be purchased, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the charities involved.

The restaurant will also be hosting a VIP gala dinner on the evening which will include a three course dinner for $35 as well as a preview of the show itself. Reservations required.

Admission to Appetite for Art is by donation. The event runs 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday in the grand ballroom of the Best Western Premier Prestige Oceanfront Resort, 6929 West Coast Rd., Sooke. For more information call the restaurant at 778-425-2529.

 

A musical tribute to Canada’s 150th

Aspiring singers, composers and musicians across the province are invited to write and sing an original song in the leadup to Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations in 2017, in a contest hosted by B.C. Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon.

Sing Me A Song is a new program meant to promote music and community spirit across the province. It is an opportunity for musical groups of all ages and genres to write a song about what Canada’s sesquicentennial means to them or their community.

“Our country’s 150th birthday is a time to reflect on our values and our accomplishments as Canadians,” said Guichon. “This program is a chance to not only demonstrate community pride, but also to promote and profile some of the exceptional student and amateur musicians found throughout the province.”

Entries will be reviewed by a panel of musicians and an award of $1,000 will be granted annually in each of three age categories. All submissions must have a minimum of 15 voices and musical accompaniment is welcome. The contest is open to school and community choirs and other amateur musical groups. Each song must be original, no longer than five minutes, and be based on the Canada 150 themes. Musicality, spirit, and originality are highly encouraged. Adults may assist in the creation of the musical content by younger age groups.

For more information, go to ltgov.bc.ca.

 

Anniversary gala benefits kids’ hospitals

The local chapter of Daughters of the Nile, an international fraternal and philanthropical organization, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year by holding a spectacular Gala event open to the public on Saturday. Proceeds of the event benefit the Canadian Trust for Shriners Hospitals for Children — Canada.

The Victoria chapter is one of 139 from across the United States and Canada that contribute more than $1.7 million annually to various Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The fundraising event features a gourmet dinner and wine service, followed by an evening of dancing and music, including nostalgic hits of the past 50 years.

On hand at the event, with lots of stories to tell, will be Barbara Coates, a founding member of the chapter. She is the Queen, the highest office, and is on the Gala Event committee.

Dress is formal or semi-formal.

Tickets are $50. Social hour starts at 5, dinner at 6 p.m., followed by music and entertainment until midnight at the Union Club, 805 Gordon St. For tickets contact Barbara Coates: jrcoates@shaw.ca or 250-595-3771. For more information, go to daughtersofthenile.com.

 

Bartlett helps out Welland orchard

Last week, Bartlett Tree Experts, working alongside of LifeCycles and Edibella Organic Landscaping, donated tree services to help maintain the Welland Legacy Park Orchard.

The orchard is a 2/3-acre public park in the Town of View Royal with more than 230 fruit trees, including more than 100 varieties of heritage apples, as well pears, plums, figs, paw paw, hazelnut, medlar, quince, cherry, grape, and kiwi. The orchard is also home to a wide variety of local pollinators and several species of birds.

The orchard was established by long-time resident Rex Welland. When he died, he willed a large section of the orchard into a land trust with The Land Conservancy and bequeathed the property to the Town in perpetuity. His vision was to have his land used as a public resource, where multiple generations could come to learn and be nourished.

In the summer of 2013, the Town of View Royal accepted the LifeCycles Project Society’s proposal to turn the orchard into a dynamic community resource. The society works closely with the Town as the primary stewards of the orchard. The ultimate goal is to create a self-sustaining edible food forest and education centre.

The orchard is located at 1215 Stancil Ln. For more information, go to lifecyclesproject.ca.