Show your support for people living with cancer by wearing a daffodil pin in April.
April is Daffodil Month for the Canadian Cancer Society. The organization has chosen the bright and cheery flower that blooms profusely in the spring as a symbol of strength and courage in the fight against cancer.
“Wearing a daffodil pin on Daffodil Day and joining our community at this special event provides a visible symbol of support for all cancer survivors,” said Erika Stockley, Canadian Cancer Society spokeswoman. “United by the daffodil, we’re showing people with cancer no one has to face cancer alone and we won’t give up until all forms of the disease are defeated.”
Money raised during Daffodil Month helps local patients living with cancer and their families. Donations fund life-saving research, and empower, inform and support Canadians living with cancer. For more information, go to cancer.ca.
The cancer society’s third annual Daffodil Tea and Fashion Show takes place Sunday, April 17.
Enjoy delicious high-tea-style refreshments, a presentation on the Art of Tea Leaf Reading, music by pianist Louise Alepin and a special fashion show featuring cancer survivors as models.
People also have an opportunity to win some prizes.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Canadian Cancer Society in support of people on Vancouver Island battling cancer.
Tickets are $35. Registration begins at 12:30, with the event running 1 to 3 p.m. on April 17 at the Inn at Laurel Point, 680 Montreal St. To learn more or to get your tickets, contact Erika Stockley [email protected], 250-414-4252 or cancer.ca.
Pull up a nasty weed at Cattle Point
Celebrate National Volunteer Week by helping to remove invasive plants at Cattle Point in Uplands Park on Tuesday.
Join Friends of Uplands Park and the Greater Victoria Green Team as they roll up their sleeves to eradicate invasive plants such as English ivy, Daphne, carpet burweed and Bur chervil.
Volunteers can also take in a nature ramble through one of Canada’s most endangered ecosystems — a Garry oak ecosystem.
Several rare plants will be sprouting soon at the park, and challenges for their survival will be discussed.
Instruction, tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided.
The Friends of Uplands Park have partnered with Oak Bay Parks for this event.
It runs 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Meet in the Cattle Point parking lot. For more information, contact Margaret Lidkea at 250-595-8084. The group has a Facebook page.
A feast of volunteer opportunities this week
Find out about all the volunteer opportunities that exist in Victoria by attending one or more fact-finding sessions at non-profit organizations as Volunteer Victoria celebrates National Volunteer Week, from Monday until Saturday.
Every year, more than 16,000 Victorians volunteer their time helping others in the community. The hardest part about volunteering locally is choosing the organization.
Volunteer Victoria has organized a week of events so people can check out areas of interest to see what appeals to them.
People can find out about being a wildlife hero with the SPCA Wild ARC, work on or off-stage with the Intrepid Theatre, eliminate invasive plants with the Greater Victoria Green Team, help feed the hungry with the Mustard Seed, improve housing security with Habitat for Humanity or work in a leadership role with the Rotary Club of Downtown Victoria, among others.
People can also sign up for Volunteering 101, to find the right organization for them or drop in for coffee hour, for an informal chat with representatives from the different organizations.
The information sessions run between Monday and April 16 at various locations in Victoria. Volunteering 101 takes place 4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday at #306-620 View St. Coffee Hour with Volunteer Victoria runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Serious Coffee, 1280 Broad St. Registration is required for every session. For more information, go to volunteervictoria.bc.ca.
War Amps seminars help children and families
A young child born without a left hand recently attended a seminar by a 70-year-old organization.
Lincoln Davis, 5, of Victoria, attended the War Amps 2016 B.C. Child Amputee (CHAMP) Seminar. The seminar brought together child amputees from across the province so they and their parents could learn about the latest in artificial limbs, dealing with teasing and bullying, and parenting an amputee child.
“The seminars have been very informative and they have also allowed Lincoln to form strong bonds with other kids who are just like him,” said his mother, Janene Davis.
Funding for the artificial limbs is made possible by the War Amps Key Tag Service, which was launched in 1946 for returning war amputees.
Each key tag has a series of numbers. Should keys be lost, the finder can call the toll-free number on the back of the tag or deposit them in any mailbox to be returned to the owner by bonded courier.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the service. The operation continues to employ amputees and people with disabilities, and has returned more than 1.5 million sets of lost keys.
The War Amps receives no government grants, and its programs are possible through public support of the Key Tag and Address Label Service. For more information, go to waramps.ca.
Church building becomes housing for youth
Oak Bay United Church and Threshold Housing Society recently announced plans to join forces to create eight new housing units for homeless youth by leasing a building owned by the church and upgrading it to provide both housing and life skills training.
“This provides a wonderful opportunity for the congregation to help meet a critical need in the community and at the same time maintain a valuable asset,” said Michelle Slater, minister of the church.
According to Mark Muldoon, executive director of Threshold Housing, his organization receives more than 100 referrals a year and is only able to provide 30 beds.
“Taking on this project will fill an immediate need and prevents vulnerable youth from ending up on the street,” he said.
The building on Granite Street is beside the church’s parking lot. It was originally built to house seniors and has been used as the Easter Seals House for families of people in hospital. Currently, it is being rented, with the common areas being used by some church groups.
Threshold Housing serves youth age 16 to 24 who need safe, secure and supported housing. It operates three facilities and houses young people in apartments throughout the capital region through the Safe Housing for Youth program.
As plans for the project move forward, the two partners will meet members of the community to answer questions or concerns. For more information, go to thresholdhousing.ca.
Poker run aids Alzheimer foundation
Unlike most poker games, the Rally 4 Memories is one game where everybody wins.
The event, also called the Drive for Dementia, is an annual fundraiser for the We Rage, We Weep Alzheimer Foundation.
Set over the Victoria Day long weekend, the event is a poker-run car rally from Victoria to Campbell River. Participants will enjoy the scenic drive up-Island with lunch hosted by Smoke’N Water in Nanoose Bay. The adventure continues after lunch as the convoy heads up to Campbell River and the final destination, Painter’s Lodge.
At various stops along the way, drivers will collect poker cards, with prizes awarded for the top three poker hands.
The rally includes an arrival reception, lunch, wine and spirit tasting, dinner and a silent auction.
Two nights’ accommodation in an ocean-view room at Painter’s Lodge is included in the entry fee of $600 per vehicle (includes driver and navigator). Tax receipts will be sent to participants.
The rally takes place May 21 from Max Furniture, 2745 Bridge St.
The We Rage We Weep Alzheimer Foundation is a Victoria-based registered charity that supports caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. For more information and to register, go to werageweweep.com.
School offers community scholarships
Glenlyon Norfolk School has just announced its Community Scholarships Initiative, which will provide $10,000 entrance scholarships for as many as 10 deserving students from Victoria and southern Vancouver Island.
The scholarships will be awarded to students new to the school and entering Grades 9, 10, 11 or 12. The award is renewable annually, meaning that a student entering Grade 9 is eligible to receive up to $40,000 in support during his or her time at the school.
“We are so fortunate to be a part of this inclusive community,” said Glenn Zederayko, head of school. “This initiative is about accessibility. It’s about making sure that deserving students are able to benefit from a Glenlyon Norfolk School education, and that our community, in turn, benefits from the positive impacts these scholars will make on the world around them.”
The successful applicants are expected to be hard-working and dedicated, willing to do their best in every facet of student life. They must be exemplary citizens, committed to giving back and enhancing the experiences of their peers and the community as a whole.
Glenlyon Norfolk School is a co-op independent day school with students from kindergarten to Grade 12. Norfolk House School was founded in 1913. Glenlyon Preparatory School was established in 1923. The two schools amalgamated in 1986.
Applications for the community scholarship will be accepted until April 29. To learn more about the scholarship criteria, visit mygns.ca/mygns/admissions/gns-community-scholarships.
Old cemetery needs a big cleanup
Learn more about some of Victoria’s pioneer families and help preserve local history at the Community Cleanup of St. Luke’s Church historic cemetery on Saturday.
The cemetery is one of Victoria’s earliest church burial grounds and the final resting place of many Cedar Hill, Lake Hill and Gordon Head pioneers.
The first recorded interment was in 1886, although there were likely unrecorded burials prior to that. Many people in Greater Victoria have parents, grandparents and great-grandparents buried in the churchyard.
Maintaining an old cemetery such as St. Luke’s is a big job, so the church has organized community cleanups to be held on the third Saturday of the month starting in April and running through to August.
People can help by cleaning headstones, weeding or cleaning graves. Bring gloves, pruners, clippers, hoes and scrapers. Water is available for cleaning markers, but people are asked to bring their own bucket and scrub brush.
Refreshments will be served.
The cleanup runs 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the church, 3821 Cedar Hill Cross Rd. For more information call 250-477-6741 or go to stlukesvictoria.ca.
