Adedicated team will run the length of Vancouver Island for seven consecutive days, starting Monday, as part of the Wounded Warrior Run B.C.
Wounded Warriors Canada is a non-profit organization that helps Canadian Forces members, serving and retired, as well as first responders and their families, who have been wounded or injured in their service to Canada.
The seven-day run starts in Port Hardy and ends in Victoria, covering almost 700 kilometres. Runners this year include current serving military members, reservists, veterans, First Nations and non-military members. Their schedule:
• Feb. 20 Port Hardy to Woss
• Feb. 21 Woss to Sayward
• Feb. 22 Sayward to Campbell River
• Feb. 23 Campbell River to Comox
• Feb. 24 Comox to Nanaimo
• Feb. 25 Nanaimo to Mill Bay
• Feb. 26 Mill Bay to Victoria
The run will finish at the Langford Legion, 761 Station Ave., about 5 p.m. Feb. 25, depending on traffic, weather and other variables.
The group has raised more than $100,000 in the three years the run has taken place. The proceeds go to therapeutic programs and solutions for military men and women enduring the impact of PTSD and operational-stress injuries.
For more information, go to woundedwarriors.ca.
United Way asks for help raising the red
The United Way of Greater Victoria is inviting Victorians to join one or all of the fun contests and events to mark the second annual Raise the Red fundraising campaign, on now until the end of the month.
The campaign also helps the social-services agency celebrate 80 years of helping change lives locally. Area businesses and organizations have pitched in to help make the campaign stand out.
• People can own their own pair of United Way Converse runners by entering the Red Shoe Contest, supported by Baggins Shoes. The tag line is: Vulnerability has no shoe size.
To enter to win one of eight signature red United Way shoes, find the shoe on uwgv.ca and email the page location and contact information to [email protected]. Deadline for the draw is 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28.
• Bring your family down to the Royal B.C. Museum for the Raise the Red scavenger hunt.
Find the red flags throughout the exhibits and decode them to reveal a secret message. Completed entries will be entered to win two pairs of signature red United Way Converse runners — one for an adult and one for a kid of the household.
The first 500 entries will also receive a Victoria cream courtesy of Rogers’ Chocolates.
The contest runs Feb. 24 to 27 at the museum, 675 Belleville St.
• The Cookie Guy is donating $3 from the sale of every half-dozen (or more) of his Raise the Red Velvet cookies to United Way.
The company will donate an additional dollar if the order is placed online for delivery to a friend, family member or colleague.
This promotion is valid until Feb. 28. The store is at 1122 Blanshard St.
United Way of Greater Victoria also wants to acknowledge Wheaton Chevrolet for providing the team with a Chevrolet Trax to help with the community campaign, Peninsula Co-op for the gas contribution and Graphic FX for providing the car logo graphics and signs at its new office space.
For more information, go to uwgv.ca.
Deadline getting closer for Monopoly Affair
Time is running out to get tickets for the Canadian Cancer Society’s fourth annual Monopoly Affair gala fundraiser, which takes place Feb. 25 at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort.
The Monopoly Affair is an upscale night of fun with about 30 tables of six people playing a 90-minute tournament that separates the real estate moguls from the rest.
The wild night of wheeling and dealing helps raise real money to fund life-saving research, lead prevention initiatives and deliver support to people affected by cancer.
The event is one of the Canadian Cancer Society’s signature fundraising events on Vancouver Island. The society is the only national, community-based charitable organization that funds research and support programs for those fighting cancer.
Single tickets are $100, a corporate table of six is $1,000 and a VIP table is $2,500. The VIP experience includes a private reception and concert with jazz vocalist Maureen Washington, table service and a night at the Ocean Pointe Resort.
Tickets are available at cancer.ca/monopolyaffair or by calling 250-380-2352.
Walk in the shoes of the homeless for one night
The Mustard Seed Street Church welcomes the public to join the Coldest Night of the Year, a walkathon on Saturday to raise funds and raise awareness about what it’s like to be on the streets — hungry, homeless and hurting — at night in winter.
Canada’s National Walk for Homelessness will take place concurrently in 114 communities across Canada.
Participants can join a team and walk two, five or 10 kilometres, raise much-needed money to support the Mustard Seed’s hospitality drop-in centre and meal program and experience a hint of the challenge faced by the homeless during winter.
“Last year at this time, there were over 1,300 people in our city who had no homes,” said Bruce Curtiss, executive director. “These are among the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our community. The Coldest Night of the Year walkathon is one way residents of Victoria can come together to extend a hand of blessing to those who surely need it.”
The Mustard Seed is aiming to raise $30,000 at the event. Since 2011, the initiative has raised $12 million nationally working with charity partners.
So far, 15 teams from Greater Victoria churches, schools, businesses and university groups have registered to walk in the event.
The walk starts at 4 p.m. Saturday at Centennial United Church, 612 David St. (at Gorge Road), with registration in the church gym.
For more information, to register or to join a team, go to cnoy.org/victoria.
How to stay active after 60
Discover the importance of staying active and socially connected at a lighthearted presentation on Romance, Relationships and Ageless Love after 60, Friday at the Silver Threads Service Victoria Centre.
The presentation is a kick-off for the new Ageless Love Series in March, a suite of presentations designed for seniors looking to build healthy, positive relationships. It could be an existing relationship to enhance or a new one you hope to develop.
The presenter is Dr. Diana Wiley, a Seattle-based sex therapist, marriage and family therapist and gerontologist.
She will speak on the nine rules for great loving — how aging and sexuality, love, lust and laughter need to be prioritized in order to improve longevity and enhance quality of life as we evolve and mature.
Future workshops and presentations include Online Dating, How to Navigate the Dating World and social events such as fun mixers. A calendar of activities will be available at Wiley’s presentation.
Silver Threads Service is a charitable, not-for-profit society that provides programs and services that enhance social connections and well-being for seniors.
Admission is $7 for the public and $5 for members. Reservations are encouraged as space is limited. The session runs 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Friday at Silver Threads Service Victoria Centre, 2340 Richmond Rd. Call 250-388-4268 to make a reservation.
For more information, go to silverthreads.ca.
Step Up program improves homes
Applications are being accepted for the Step Up Community Build Program, an initiative targeted toward youth 16 years old or younger and their families.
The program seeks to improve the living environment for young people, helping them focus on their future and reaching their full potential.
The program is open to applications ranging from simple improvements such as a wheelchair ramp to larger projects with a broader scope.
The program is an initiative of Horizon Pacific Contracting.
“Horizon Pacific has been supporting a variety of community initiatives since we started the company,” said owner Tim Agar. “We are strongly committed to giving back to the community. In talking about how to provide support this year we struck upon the idea of focusing our efforts where we could make the most difference.”
Applicants will be asked to describe what changes they would like done in their home and how the changes would remove barriers in day-to-day life. The program is designed for people who don’t fit into other program criteria and have been unable to find support from other organizations.
Deadline for applications is midnight April 30. The selected projects will be announced in May, with work commencing later in the year.
Program criteria and applications are posted on horizoncontracting.ca.
Blood donations way down after storms
Canadian Blood Services is making an appeal for donors to help replenish blood supplies diminished by severe winter weather. Snowfall and icy conditions across the country wiped out the opportunity to collect almost 2,000 blood donations in just the past few days.
Severe weather, especially in Eastern Canada, has forced Canadian Blood Services to cancel 18 clinics, with dozens of others affected by low attendance. More cancellations are expected in the next few days due to the severe storms that continue to hammer the Atlantic region.
“With our national inventory we have been able to ensure hospital need is met,” said Mark Donnison, vice-president of donor relations. “At the same time we have not been able to collect blood in many communities and need to recoup those donations. To continue to meet patient need, we urge donors who are able to make an appointment to give blood at their local clinic.”
Donating blood is a way Canadians can help one another, as patients are depending on their support.
To book an appointment, locate a clinic or check your eligibility, use the Give Blood App or visit blood.ca.
