Vic High Grade 12 student Danya Elkhidir has been named a 2023 Loran Scholar, an award that acknowledges character, service and leadership potential and is valued at up to $100,000.
Only 36 students are selected each year across Canada for the four-year scholarships, which include opportunities for mentorship and summer programs, as well as undergraduate studies.
Almost 4,800 youth applied for this year’s scholarships. Danya was among six chosen from B.C. and one of only two from Vancouver Island, along with Brynna Coogan of Cowichan Secondary School.
Danya’s accomplishments include founding the Students of Colour Association at Vic High and serving as the school’s student representative with the Greater Victoria School District.
She is an active member of the Muslim community, helps with meetings and activities for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) youth, teaches Arabic to children and volunteers at the local mosque.
Danya, who plans to take arts courses at the University of B.C. in September, said receiving the award “still feels unreal to me.” “It’s a huge honour.”
Law and criminology are on her list of interests, Danya said. “I’m just going to see what I like and then go from there.”
Vic High principal Aaron Parker described the Loran Award as a “launch pad for high-potential students.”
The Loran Scholars Foundation was founded in 1988, and up until 2007 distributed what were known as the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation National Awards.
At that point, the name was changed to Loran, short for Long-Range Aid to Navigation, a system developed during the Second World War that uses three points to chart the course for a long journey.
In the case of the Loran Scholars Foundation, those points are character, service and leadership — and the word Loran was chosen to emphasize the lifelong impact of being a Loran Scholar.
>>> Thousands expected for Highland Games
More than 20,000 visitors are expected to take in activities celebrating Scottish and Celtic arts and culture starting next weekend at the 160th Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival — the longest continual such event in North America.
The festival, set for May 13-21, will run rain or shine, and opens with the Tartan Parade May 13. The parade starts at 11 a.m. and travels from Centennial Square to the legislature, with pipe bands, highland dancers, and members of local Scottish and Celtic groups.
The main attraction is the Highland Games, set for the following weekend, May 20 and 21, at Topaz Park.
“We are proud to offer the Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival as a premier destination for those seeking the best Scottish and Celtic music, dance, sport, and heritage in North America,” said Jim Maxwell, president of the Victoria Highland Games Association.
Maxwell said this year’s festival will feature the International Heavy Events Challenge, such as the caber toss and hammer throw, and Canadian Invitational Drum Major Championship, showcasing a lineup of world and national champions.
“We are excited to provide an unforgettable experience for all attendees.”
There will also be falconry, Scottish country dancing, fiddling, folk bands, genealogy booths, military displays, and Scottish/Celtic food and merchandise vendors.
Other features include a single-malt whisky school and a wine-tasting school for those 19 and over, as well as a children’s entertainment area.
A May 20 presentation by Victoria Military Music Festival Society at 7 p.m. at Topaz Park will celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and mark Canada’s relationship with the United States.
The Naden Band will be among the performers, and the Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band, United States Marine Corps will make its first Victoria appearance in more than 20 years.
• For more information, visit victoriahighlandgames.com, Twitter at @vichighlandgames or Facebook at Victoria Highland Games.
>>> Fundraising concert to help Ukrainian refugees
The Help Ukraine Vancouver Island Society is inviting the public to a fundraising concert on Thursday featuring four professional Ukrainian musicians who have recently found refuge on the Island.
They will perform 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Victoria Truth Centre, 2815 Cedar Hill Rd. Desserts and beverages will be available.
Admission is by donation, with the Victoria Truth Centre matching all of the money contributed.
“This is an opportunity for our community to come together and support displaced Ukrainians on Vancouver Island,” said society general manager Karmen McNamara. “Every penny raised goes directly towards creating decent and safe new lives for individuals living here.”
Over 1,200 refugees have been supported by the society since March 2022.
>>> ‘Attic treasures’ at market Friday, Saturday
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, at Douglas and Broughton streets, will host a spring market on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for the renovation of a room to create a meeting space for community groups.
The event will feature jewelry and what organizers call “attic treasures,” and will include a silent auction.
Lunch will also be available.
Hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
Admission is free, and entry is via the Broughton Street door.
>>> Sale-a-Palooza boosts Broken Promises Rescue
Broken Promises Rescue, a volunteer group that spends over $130,000 a year covering veterinary costs for neglected and unwanted animals, is holding a Sale-a-Palooza May 20 to fund its work.
The event will run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at View Royal Community Hall, 279 Island Highway.
A wide range of products for dogs and cats will be on sale, along with homemade candles, bracelets for both hands and paws, clothes and Sue Coleman prints.
Broken Promises Rescue has been helping animals, including farm animals, for over 25 years. The focus is on B.C. animal shelters and facilities that are overloaded and don’t have the resources for veterinary care.
Efforts are made to help animals considered less adoptable than others due to medical or behavioural problems and other issues.
The group also educates people about the responsibilities of animal ownership.
• For more information go to brokenpromisesrescue.com.
jbell@timescolonist.com
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