Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Foundation Launch 2024 Santa's Sleigh to Fulfill Kids' Christmas Wishlists

For the past 35 years, Children’s Christmas wishes are getting fulfilled through the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation (KHCAS) 2024 Santa’s Sleigh Program launched at the Chemong Road Walmart on Thursday.

Ivana Braithwaite, 4, gets a Merry Christmas and holiday cheer from Santa as Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation launches its Santa’s Sleigh program for 2025. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“Our community is so generous,” said Carrie Truman, KHCAS executive director. People have given for many years and we're hoping they're going to give in the same way again this year.”

The program is in conjunction with the Central Lakes Association of Realtors, East Peterborough Lions Club, 101.5 The Wolf, Global Peterborough and 100.5 Fresh Radio.

Roughly 900 children are involved in the foundation, with gift requests written on tags and placed on a Christmas tree in Walmart. Shoppers can grab a tag, fulfill it, and put it in a drop-in sleigh at the store. The program runs until Dec. 9 at 1 p.m.

“We are inviting the community to choose a child’s gift suggestion from our tree at Walmart, and then shop for that gift in order to fulfill the child’s holiday wish” said Truman. “The gifts will go directly to children in our community, so that together we can put smiles on the faces of local children this holiday season.”

Presents, gift cards, and monetary donations are accepted during the program. Donated money purchases gifts and gift cards for children and youth involved with the KHCAS.

Donors can make online monetary donations on the foundation’s website.

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Backyard Summer Social Returns For a Third Year In Support of Five Counties Kids

The Five Counties Children’s Centre (FCCC) is bringing the third edition of its Backyard Summer Social for June 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. at their backyard space at 872 Dutton Rd., announced on Thursday.

The Backyard Summer Social takes place in the outdoor backyard space created almost five years ago at Five Counties site in Peterborough. Photo courtesy of FCCC.

Tickets to the Backyard Summer Social are $125 each and available online, by emailing development@fivecounties.on.ca or calling 1-888-779-9916, ext. 300.

The purchase include a $75 charitable tax receipt, all available food from a variety of local vendors, one drink ticket, live music, access to all activities and games and a chance to win prizes.

“The added benefit is that by joining us to celebrate the start of summer, it lets you be a kid again – at least for the afternoon – with the proceeds of your ticket going directly to support treatment for our kids and their families,” said Lyn Giles, FCCC director of fund development.

The Backyard Summer Social has raised more than $40,000 annually in the past two years. The money raised goes directly to Five Counties ‘Building Abilities For Life Campaign which funds priority, high-demand services like speech therapy and occupational therapy in an effort to reduce the long waiting times for kids to receive these critical services.

Anyone purchasing a ticket prior to May 20 will be entered in a draw to win a FujiFilm Instax Mini 12 camera. A winner will be selected and notified during the week of May 21.

“Our Backyard Summer Social is an adults-only gala event that lets you swap out the tux, gown and heels for T-shirt, shorts and sandals, all the while supporting a great cause,” says Lyn Giles, Director of Fund Development at Five Counties. “The Backyard Summer Social promises to be an entertaining, high-end experience with equally high-end impact.”

Amenities at the Backyard Summer Social include:

• Delicious food from La Mesita, Gangers of Cheese, and Hanoi House

• Sweet treats from Central Smith and the Kawartha Butter Tart Factory

• Musical performances by Nicholas Campbell and the Boogie Time Ramblers.

• Live auction and door prizes.

• Axe throwing, petting zoo, inflatable jousting, old-fashioned picnic games and more.

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Peterborough Lions Club Hosting Spring Shoe Drive to Benefit Those In Need Locally and Abroad

In a partnership with Soles4Souls, the Peterborough Lions Club is hosting a shoe drive this spring to collect any gently used footwear and new socks to help those in need locally and abroad.

JUDY JENKINS WITH THE 2021 SHOE DRIVE SIGN WITH A MINOR CORRECTION AFTER SMITH’S FINAL DONATION. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.

“Unwanted footwear is turned into opportunities, keeping them from landfills and putting them to further use by those in need, creating jobs and empowering people to break the cycle of poverty,” as stated in a Lions Club press release.

Drop-off locations are in orange boxes at the Peterborough Lions Club at 347 Burnham St. and various locations throughout the town.

Donations are being taken from May 1 to June 21.

New or used baby-to-adult footwear including work, dress, casual, runners, sandals, winter boots and more are accepted.

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71 Teams Battling It Out In the 64th Annual Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament Beginning Friday

One of Peterborough’s most significant hockey traditions is back for its 64th year as the Annual Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament hits the ice starting Friday, announced at the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame on Monday night.

Garth Stoner (left), Neil Moloney (middle) and Carl Silevestri (right) The tournament was formerly called the Peterborough Liftlock Atom Hockey Tournament. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The three-day event starts Friday, with opening ceremonies for house league and rep divisions beginning at 10 a.m. at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC). YourTV Cogeco is broadcasting the first two opening games for house and rep divisions.

The broadcasted games are the Ennismore Eagles White taking on the PHA Purple Panthers for the house league opening game at 10 a.m. Friday. The other is the Peterborough Petes battling against the Toronto Wolverines at 11:30 a.m. in the rep league opening game, also known as the Chris Fee Cup. It pits the host Peterborough team against the visiting squad.

This year features 71 teams from throughout the province in 13 divisions. They are playing throughout six arenas in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. This tournament runs for a second straight year after being shelved for 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tournament chairman Wally Moore says that since the inaugural tournament in 1958. The event has been supported for generations by volunteers and sponsors to help make it a long-standing Peterborough tradition which fits the tournament motto, ‘Not just a hockey tournament...It's a community affair.’

“The longevity of this has made this tournament so well. All the volunteers come back year after year,” he explained. “A lot of us have been doing this for 40 years but the new ones we bring in, our kids have been doing this for 20 years so it's a community thing.”

A cheque presentation of $2,500 was also donated to Kairos Non-Profit Housing of Peterborough and Camp Northern Lights as the chosen beneficiaries, as the tournament supports a local charity or more annually.

All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Several awards were distributed ahead of the opening ceremonies recognizing some volunteers for their contributions to the tournament over the years:

• Don McCrory Referee’s Award for exemplifying McCrory’s dedication to officiating - Neil Moloney

• Steve Casey Award for a volunteer going the extra mile to contributing to the tournament’s success – Garth Stoner

• Frank Lustic Award for exemplifying all Lustic’s qualities who volunteered for over 25 years in minor sports – Carl Silvestri

A full tournament schedule can be found online.

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'Harmony for Healing' Event Organizer Sends Cordial Invitation Letter to Neil Young and Daryl Hannah

Organizer Philip Jolicoeur has reached out in a cordial letter to famed Canadian musician Neil Young and his wife and actress Daryl Hannah to attend his ‘Harmony for Healing’ suicide prevention concert.

Jolicoeur’s letter that was posted to social media. Photo courtesy of Philip Jolicoeur.

Jolicoeur’s mother passed away from suicide in the summer of 2022. He says Young’s music was a ‘comfort’ to her and himself. Jolicouer got to see Young in concert for the first time when he was four.

The letter was posted to social media on Wednesday and had almost 200 shares on Facebook, tagging the renowned artist.

The show is set for Feb. 22 at Market Hall. Tickets are $40 (plus $4 for ticket office fees) and are available online.

The concert has a house band boasting a large handful of Peterborough’s best performing at the event. The Weber Brothers, Melissa Payne, Nicholas Campbell, Austin Carson, Carling Campbell, Beth Anne Pelow on Sax, Tony Silvestri, Lindsay Barr and the artistry of Jason Wilkins Art & Creative Inc. are showcased at the event.

The event’s fundraising goal is $10,000 annually over a five-year span to raise a total of $50,000. Proceeds go to the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Assertive Outreach Suicide Prevention program.

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Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Foundation Helps Fulfill Kids' Christmas Wishlist Launching Santa's Sleigh

Children’s Christmas lists are getting checked and fulfilled through the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation (KHCAS) 2023 Santa’s Sleigh Program launched at the Chemong Road Walmart on Thursday.

Bella Myers, 5, gets a ‘Merry Christmas’ from Santa Claus as several children got a visit from Father Christmas to give him their Christmas wishes. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The program is in conjunction with the Central Lakes Association of Realtors, East Peterborough Lions Club, 101.5 The Wolf, Global Peterborough and 100.5 Fresh Radio.

The program has 900 children involved in the foundation with gift requests written on tags and placed on a Christmas tree in Walmart. Shoppers can grab a tag, fulfill it and put it in a drop-in sleigh ion the store. The program runs until Dec. 4 at 1 p.m.

For the past 34 years, KHCAS’s Santa’s Sleigh Program has helped make the holidays brighter for local children and youth involved with the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society.

“We are inviting the community to choose a child’s gift suggestion from our tree at Walmart, and then shop for that gift in order to fulfill the child’s holiday wish,” said Carrie Truman, KHCAS executive director. “The gifts will go directly to children in our community so that together we can put smiles on the faces of local children this holiday season.”

Presents, gift cards and monetary donations are being accepted during the program’s duration. Donated money is being used to purchase gifts and gift cards for children and youth involved with the KHCAS according to a press release.

Donors can make online monetary donations on the foundation’s website.

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Darling and Sentinel Risk Insurance Fundraises To Food For Kids With Revival Of Golf Tournament After Three-Year Hiatus

After three years on the shelf, Darling Insurance and Sentinel Risk Insurance has come back with their annual charity golf tournament at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club on Thursday.

Mitch Ahrens of Darling Insurance playing the putting game as he practices for the tournament in support of Food For Kids. All photos by David Tuan Bui.

The last tournament was in 2019 where proceeds were split between Community Care Peterborough and The Peterborough Humane Society. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the annual event from launching for the past three years.

“It's been something we've been doing for over 25 years,” said Peter Blodgett, Darling Insurance owner. “What we do is try and give back to a community that's been awfully good to us.”

Roughly over 100 golfers hit the links in a tournament to support of Food for Kids Peterborough and Food for Kids Kawartha Lakes.

“With what's going on in the world these days and the economic scenarios that we deal with in this community, we just felt that doing something for kids was just a worthwhile effort,” explained Blodgett.

A count has yet to be fully tallied for money raised but Darling Insurance in its last outing raised roughly $20,000 in 2019.

Darling Insurance wanted to thank the following organizations for helping put on the tournament:

• Wawanesa Insurance

• CAA Insurance

• The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group

• Intact Insurance

• Aviva Canada

• Gore Mutual Insurance

• LLF Lawyers

• Heartland Farm Mutual Insurance

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United Way Highlights Annual Accomplishments By Releasing 2022-2023 Community Impact Report

The United Way Peterborough & District announced its Community Impact Report entitled “UNITED. Together We Can…” which highlights their accomplishments, the funded agencies and community partners throughout the 2022-2023 season.

Jim Russell, United Way CEO during the presentation of the organization’s Community Impact Report. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“Our work as a community relies on personal connection, which was undeniably impacted by the social distancing throughout the pandemic. Agencies pivoted and adapted to continue to support our community despite the added pressures resulting from the pandemic, said Jim Russell, United Way CEO. This past year marked the beginning of coming together again, and we are so proud of how our donors, agencies, volunteers and community have embraced the opportunity to come back stronger than before.”

The report showcased the outcomes that are made possible through United Way’s investment in 275 different programs and initiatives during the presentation.

“The Community Impact Report is a celebration of the achievements of our funded agencies as well as our United Way initiatives,” said Betsy Farrar, United Way manager of community impact. “The statistics captured in this report demonstrate the power of strategically investing in work to collectively have the strongest outcomes possible. Beyond each of the statistics listed in this report are meaningful, deep, life-changing impacts experienced by the 46,263 people that are helped through the work of United Way and its funded agencies.”

United Way investments were reported to support agencies to provide a range of different services, including:

• 164,936 nutritious meals, snacks, and food boxes

• 7,142 nights of safe shelter

• 35,148 mental health and social wellness activities and check-ins

• 27,113 in-home supports and care visits for isolated individuals

Representatives from some of the 20 partner agencies were at the presentation and highlighted working alongside United Way.

“Together, over the years our donors have contributed millions of dollars that we invest directly into the programs and initiatives like those captured in this report,” said Russell. “In addition, the work of the United Way is driven by over 50 volunteers that make investment decisions, coordinate events and enhance us as an organization as we strive towards our mission.”

The United Way is kicking off its 2023 campaign at the Healthy Planet Arena on Sept. 6.

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First-Ever Little Lakers Night Set for July 27 With During Lakers Final Home Game

The welcome mat is being rolled out by the Peterborough Lakers for their Little Lakers Lacrosse Night and Five Counties families for July 27.

Five Counties Children’s Centre (FCCC) is teaming up with the Peterborough Lakers for the first-ever Little Lakers Night on the team’s final regular season home game on July 27 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre against the Brooklin L.C.

“Five Counties has played a big role throughout the years in our family,” says Len Powers, a FCCC ambassador and Lakers’ board member. “We are really grateful for the work the Centre does to support kids and their families in our community and were excited to find a fun way to give back.”

Little Lakers Night features the following:

• Pre-game festivities starting at 7 p.m. – an hour before game time. Five Counties is holding a silent auction that lets people bid on items that include: a golf package for four at Wildfire Golf Club, a baby gift basket and tickets to Canada’s Wonderland.

• Facepainting for kids by donation, sale of freezies and the chance to buy commemorative Little Lakers Night T-shirts in support of Five Counties.

• A ceremonial ball drop before the game, featuring Five Counties family and representatives.

The proceeds support the Building Abilities for Life campaign, allowing more kids to get the essential treatment like occupational and speech therapies they need to be their best according to a press release.

“Community events like Little Lakers Night are integral to helping us get more kids into treatment, reducing wait times and allowing more families to get the care when they need it,” says Scott Pepin, FCCC CEO. “We could not do what we do without the support of organizations like the Peterborough Lakers.”

Game tickets to Little Lakers Night are available through the Memorial Centre box office.

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Peterborough Lions Club Collecting Used Shoe Donations For Thursday's Lakers Game

The Peterborough Lions Club is collecting used shoes to give to the less fortunate across the world at the Peterborough Lakers game this Thursday.

JUDY JENKINS WITH THE 2021 SHOE DRIVE SIGN WITH A MINOR CORRECTION AFTER SMITH’S FINAL DONATION. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.

The Club has partnered with SOLES4SOULS, a non-profit organization that helps distribute shoes to those in need in various communities across the world. The unwanted footwear that typically hits landfills is cleaned and redistributed to those living in poverty. Kenyan lacrosse players will also be beneficiaries of the shoe drive.

Donors can bring their gently used shoes and new pairs of socks to the game located at bins located at all Memorial Centre entrances.

The Lions Club has collected over 3,800 pairs of shoes from the Peterborough community and has sent close to 100 pairs to lacrosse players in Africa. Donations can also be dropped off at the Lions Club on 347 Burnham St. until Friday.

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