Canadian Lutheran World Relief wants to provide a little Canadian warmth to some of the 125,000 Syrian refugees facing another harsh winter in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan.
The humanitarian organization is hoping to collect 10,000 new and gently used sweaters for Syrians who have escaped a bloody civil war with just the clothes on their backs.
The international relief agency, representing the Lutheran community in Canada, is looking for men’s, women’s and children’s sweaters of all sizes.
“Every bit of warmth we can provide will make a difference,” said Robert Granke, executive director of the agency.
“The sweaters will go to the people in the camp who are in the most need.”
Sweaters can be dropped off at Church of the Cross, 3787 Cedar Hill Rd., in Saanich; Hope Evangelical, 1924 Carrick St., in Victoria; and Lutheran Church Redeemer, 911 Jenkins Ave., in Langford. Deadline for dropoffs is Oct. 27.
For more information, go to clwr.org.
Introducing kids to mountain biking
Is your child interested in mountain biking? The South Island Mountain Bike Society is holding its sixth annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day today.
The event offers children and youth a fun venue to try mountain biking and to improve their skills. There will be guided rides, instruction and refreshments.
“[The event] is a great opportunity for kids and their families to get outside and learn safe mountain biking skills from local riders,” said organizer David Cusack.
The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m., rain or shine, in Cecilia Ravine Park in Victoria and at Cleasby Park in Cobble Hill.
For more information, go to simbs.com.
Tru Value donates to fight cancer
Thanks to fundraisers by staff, Tru Value Foods presented the B.C. Cancer Foundation with a $13,000 donation on Friday.
The foundation called the grocery-store chain, located in Victoria and a number of Gulf Islands, “a model for philanthropy, continually giving back to its home communities.”
This gift will go toward improving patient care as well as funding world-class scientists doing cancer research at the B.C. Cancer Agency.
The cheque was presented by Phil Greenhalgh, owner and general manager of the chain, at the Cordova Bay store.
For more information, go to bccancerfoundation.com.
Our Place serving Thanksgiving meal
Some of Victoria’s most vulnerable citizens will be able to share in a Thanksgiving meal, thanks to the generosity of donors, community groups and volunteers.
About 1,000 people will sit down to a traditional meal of turkey and all the fixings on Thursday as Our Place hosts a special holiday meal.
“Thanksgiving is a special time to be with loved ones. For many of the people we welcome, we’re the closest family they have,” said Don Evans, executive director of Our Place. “We want everyone to feel a sense of belonging and enjoy a great meal.”
The organization expects to serve 453 kilograms of turkey, 227 kilograms of potatoes, 113 kilograms of stuffing, 91 kilograms of vegetables, 114 litres of gravy, 25 kilograms of cranberry sauce, 125 pumpkin pies and 1,500 cups of coffee.
For more information, go to ourplacesociety.com.
Blood donors will get pumpkin pie
Still on the Thanksgiving theme, Canadian Blood Services will express its gratitude for donations next week with a slice of pumpkin pie and a draw to win a turkey.
The organization’s Victoria clinic at 3449 Saanich Rd., across from Uptown shopping centre, will be serving the seasonal dessert on Thursday and Friday.
Every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood — in most cases, blood from more than just one donor, the agency says.
Someone undergoing treatment for leukemia, for example, could require blood and blood products from as many as eight donors a week.
For more information, go to blood.ca.
RBC gift supports youth art program
The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s New Extreme: Artists Mentoring Youth program is getting a $10,000 boost from the Royal Bank of Canada Emerging Artist Project.
Every year, the art gallery’s youth mentoring program provides for five artists to attend different schools for eight weeks to introduce students and teachers to new art practices. The program is now in its 13th year. Last year, the gallery was able to provide more than 150 youths between ages 13 and 19 with mentorship in contemporary art practices.
“The program offers students access to an intense artistic education that they might not otherwise have,” said Ruth Wittenberg, chairwoman of the gallery’s board of directors. “It gives youth an opportunity to explore their artistic potential and cultivate their knowledge of the art world.”
RBC’s project helps support visual artists in the early stages of their careers and is focused on providing grants to apprenticeship programs. For more information, go to aggv.ca or rbc.com/emergingartists.
Buying CT scanner is fundraising goal
The Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation hopes its 2013 fundraising campaign will raise $2 million, in part to purchase a state-of-the-art CT scanner for the hospital.
Over the years, the foundation has been instrumental in raising money to purchase equipment for the hospital, including an ECG machine for the laboratory. It has also been a significant partner in a number of projects in the hospital.
The new $1.6-million scanner would allow doctors to get better images while exposing patients to less radiation.
In some cases, the new technology can replace coronary angiography, reducing the need for patients to endure an invasive procedure. For more information, go to sphf.ca.
Medical expert to speak about AIDS
An internationally renowned expert will kick off a speakers’ series on AIDS organized by a group of Victoria grandmothers.
Dr. Stefano Bertozzi, dean of the school of public health at the University of California at Berkeley, will launch the series Monday with his talk Turning the Corner on AIDS: The Role of the Global Fund. The physician, global heath scientist and health economist was formerly director of HIV programs at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Admission is by donation. The series of talks is co-sponsored by Cadboro Bay United Church and the Victoria Grandmothers Advocacy Network.
The talk starts at 7:30 p.m. Monday at 2625 Arbutus Rd.
For more information, call 250-477-2715 or go to grandmothersadvocacy.org.
