Friends and family of a slain real-estate agent are hosting a community walk in her memory on Feb. 2.
Lindsay Buziak was a 24-year-old real estate agent who was killed Feb. 2, 2008. Her slaying remains unsolved.
Her father, Jeff Buziak, along with family, friends and supporters will be taking part in the seventh annual Lindsay Buziak Memorial Walk for Justice.
The walk starts at 10 a.m. at the park gates of the Royal Oak Burial Park, 4673 Falaise Dr. The walk ends at the Saanich Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Ave.
Mari Green named Care Provider of the Year
A local nurse has been named Care Provider of the Year at the B.C. Care Providers Association’s fourth annual B.C. Care Awards.
Mari Green, a nurse manager at Beacon Community Services, was recognized for her demonstrated commitment to quality, compassion and excellence in delivering care to residents and/or clients in the home-care sector.
“Mari epitomizes Beacon’s commitment to helping people and improving lives, and all of us at Beacon are incredibly proud of her,” said Bob Boulter, CEO of Beacon Community Services. “This award reflects the caring and dedication that Mari shows our clients day in and day out.”
Green is a leader in Beacon’s home-support care program, pursuing her nursing passions — palliative care, infection prevention and control, promoting a healthy workplace and supporting nursing colleagues to grow within their field.
The longtime Saanich resident joined the staff at Beacon Community Services in 2003.
The award will be presented to Green at a ceremony on Feb. 20 at the Fairmont Empress Hotel.
Established in 1974, Beacon Community Services is one of B.C.’s largest not-for-profit social-services organizations, serving about 10,000 clients in Greater Victoria and outer Gulf Islands. For more information, go to beaconcs.ca.
The B.C. Care Providers Association advocates for the continuing-care sector in B.C. For more information, go to bccare.ca.
It’s time again for naked bungee jumping
Registration has opened for an annual au naturel fundraiser hosted by WildPlay Nanaimo for the Victoria branch of the British Columbia Schizophrenia Society, Feb. 18 and 19.
This is the 11th year of the society’s Naked Bungy Jumps, where 160 people will strip off their clothes and bungee jump from a 46-metre bridge.
“The outlandishness of the event makes people stop and think about the connection between the stigmas of fear and of mental illness,” said Hazel Meredith, executive director of the Victoria branch of the B.C. Schizophrenia Society. “Our message is that by having faith in oneself and relying on the support of people around you, people can overcome their fear of the unknown.”
Last year, the event raised more than $40,000 from registration fees, donations and pledges. Net proceeds from the event are donated to the Victoria branch of the B.C. Schizophrenia Society for programs that provide life-saving and life-enhancing support to people with mental illness.
Interested people are asked to register early, as space is limited to 160 participants (age 18 or older) over the two days — and it always sells out.
People who pre-book can jump for $55. Participants can jump for free if they collect pledges of $200 or more before the event — which will also be doubled through the generosity of a long-standing anonymous donor (up to $25,000).
People on the shy side can jump clothed for the regular rate of $129.99. Spectators (ages 18 or older) are welcome to cheer on the participants for a minimum $15 donation.
The event runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 18 and 19 at the company’s Nanaimo location, 35 Nanaimo River Rd. For more information, or to book, go to wildplay.com/nakedbungyjump or 1-855-595-2251. For more information on the Victoria branch of the B.C. Schizophrenia Society, go to bcssvictoria.ca.
250 women throw support behind Cridge Centre
A local social-action group has donated more than $25,000 to further the programs provided by the Cridge Centre for the Family.
The group, 100 Women Who Care Victoria, chose to donate to the charity after hearing Heather Follis deliver an impassioned presentation on the scope and impact the centre is making.
She spoke of her personal connection and experience with the centre and about the varied programs offered at the Cridge Centre.
After hearing her tale, 250 women voted to support the charity with a donation of $100 each — totalling $25,000.
“The power of one is so impactful. The power of one plus one, plus one more moves mountains,” said Shelley Morris, Cridge CEO. “These women of strength and purpose, commitment and hope are world-changers.”
The funds will be used to support programs and services offered by the Cridge Centre to children, seniors and families. For more information, go to cridge.org.
For more information on 100 Women Who Care Victoria, go to 100womenvictoria.com.
Porridge is on the way for students
Hungry young students will start the day with a full tummy this year, thanks to a collaborative effort between a cereal producer and an investment advisory group.
The stated aim of the Singing Bowl Granola Porridge Project, which starts on Tuesday, is to reduce childhood hunger, one bowl of porridge at a time.
“It is unbelievable just how many children go to school hungry every day in our community,” said Jessica Duncan, Singing Bowl Granola owner. “As a former teacher, I know what it is like to have hungry students in the classroom. I am determined to do my best to help alleviate the situation in my community.”
The local company will make deliveries to school-breakfast programs throughout School District 61 for students ages five to 18.
The program was supposed to be a one-time donation of 50 single servings to George Jay Elementary School last January. The company ultimately delivered nearly 9,000 servings to more than a dozen schools. As more schools have jumped on board for this free service, the company expects to see those numbers increase even more.
The Porridge Project is a collaborative effort between Singing Bowl Granola and the Blue Heron Advisory Group of CIBC Wood Gundy.
For more information, go to singingbowlgranola.com and cibcwg.com/web/ blueheronadvisorygroup.
Help Colwood map out its future
Colwood is updating its official community plan and is asking its citizens for input to help create a bold new plan for the municipality. To add some fun to the event the municipality is hosting a Big Ideas Fair on Saturday.
The drop-in event features food, music, an inflatable playground for children, plus all kinds of family-friendly activities.
Here are some activities:
Design Colwood — Bring your ideas for Colwood to life with the help of a professional graphic facilitator, who will sketch what you describe for parks, housing, destinations, transportation and more.
Map It — Walk around a large floor map of Colwood and mark important places: Current and future town centres, cherished assets, issues and problem areas.
Be Mayor for the Day — Use your budget tokens to invest in your priority areas.
Speakers’ Corner — Tell tales about your experiences of Colwood and your hopes for the community. Stories will be recorded and compiled for posting and sharing.
In Their Shoes — Read about the experience of a fictional character in Colwood and step into their shoes to come up with ideas to improve how that person could live, work and play in the community.
My Big Idea Photo Booth — Scribble your big idea for the future of Colwood on a handheld white board and snap a photo with it. Photos will be shared on social media/web.
Kids Drawing Station — Kids draw their ideas for Colwood on interactive sheets that prompt them to think about where we live, how we move around and enjoy open spaces.
Child Care — Little ones can play in an inflatable playground and do craft activities in a separate room with licensed child-care staff from West Shore Parks and Recreation.
Music — Musical entertainment to make it feel fun and festive.
Food — a food truck will be onsite to encourage people to hang out, socialize and enjoy.
The event is free to attend. It runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Royal Bay Secondary School, 3500 Ryder Hesjedal Way, Colwood. For more information, go to colwood.ca/makingwaves.
Celebrate Black History Month in song
The Victoria Freedom Gospel Choir and Duncan Freedom Gospel Choir are getting together to celebrate Black History month with a concert on Saturday.
The Freedom Is A-callin concert showcases songs that express the slaves’ yearning for freedom and a better life in heaven.
Advance tickets are $15, $20 at the door and free for children 12 and under. The concert starts at 6:30 p.m., Jan. 28 at the First Church of the Nazarene, 4277 Quadra St.
Tickets are available at the Christian Book and Music Store, 3090 Nanaimo St.
For more information, call 250-634-4576.
The people voted and the beards came off
Five gentlemen are feeling a lot cooler, and the Victoria Cool Aid Society a little richer at the conclusion of the Beards On/ Beards Off fundraiser last week.
The five had offered their whiskers for a good cause — offering to shave off their beards if the Bears Off faction of the fun competition outbid the Beards On camp.
Ultimately, the Off camp raised $3,565 compared with the $2,870 collected by the On supporters. In total, $6,435 was raised through this unique initiative.
People packed the Saint Franks diner to watch the countdown and the final deed at the Victory Barber Shop at the back of Saint Franks.
Four of the clean-shaven men: Brian Bates, Braeden Papp, Nick Johnson and David Mitchell, live in Victoria, with Frank Motschko hailing from Kelowna.
People can go to Facebook.com/beardonoff to watch the dramatic videos and learn more. To donate, go to coolaid.org/donate.
Teens can learn to make a difference
There is still time for interested teenagers to register for the fifth annual Social Justice Youth Conference — A Day of Action, which takes place Feb. 18.
The conference, for young adults who want to make a difference in their communities and the world, is hosted by the Didi Society and Central Middle School.
“Youth will have the opportunity to meet other youth interested in making positive change in the world and to create an action plan and submit it for support and funding by the Didi Society,” said Julia Norman, executive director of the society, a Victoria-based non-profit that partners with women’s co-operatives in India and Guatemala.
Youth will attend a series of workshops to acquire necessary skills and knowledge on issues such as fair trade, sustainable development, gender equality and human rights.
The conference costs $10 to attend and is open to students in Grades 7 through 12. It runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 18 at Central Middle School, 1280 Fort St.
Deadline for registration is Feb. 5 at thedidisociety.org/ social-justice-youth-conference.
