Local Youngster Hosting Lemonade Stand To Help Friend In Dirt Bike Accident Recovery

Hailey Kahler, of Peterborough, is hosting a lemonade stand on Saturday, with all proceeds going to her friend Nixon Parsons, who has spent the last few weeks at Sick Kids Hospital after a dirt bike accident.

Photo courtesy of Hillary Kahler.

The lemonade stand will happen on Saturday from 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. at 387 Edison Ave.

Local businesses have also donated raffle prizes like gift cards to restaurants and prizes.

Everything at the lemonade stand will be $1, with all proceeds going to the Parsons family.

“I want to help him because he’s my friend,” said Hailey. “And maybe buy him something nice to help him feel better.”

Hillary, Hailey’s mom, says they will transfer the funds to the Parsons family so they can use them however they need.

For the last few weeks both of Parsons parents have been by his side, so they have been unable to work.

Family and friends have been donating to allow them to stay in hotels near by and keep up with any bills that may arise.

Hillary says that Hailey has always wanted to do a lemonade stand, so when she heard her friend had been hurt she thought that would be a great way to raise money and put it towards something that matters.

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Blind Woman To Cycle Through Peterborough in Province-Wide Tour; Fundraiser To Create Stem Cell Registry

Blind author Amber Needham is cycling through Peterborough next Friday as part of a province-wide tour to raise money to begin a stem cell registry.

Mike Rousseau (left) with Amber Needham (right) riding in Bayfield, Ont. just off the southwest coast of Lake Huron. Photo courtesy of Mike Rousseau and McGinny Photography.

Needham is riding a tandem bicycle with friend Mike Rousseau throughout most of southern and eastern Ontario in the span of six and a half weeks. They are riding over 2,500 km and started at St. Thomas on July 4. The final leg ends at the teaching hospital University Health Network (UHN) scheduled for Aug. 20.

They are collecting donations from passersby during their trip with a goal of $80,000. All proceeds go towards the UHN and Dr. Clara Chan.

Needham suffered cornea damage from a retinal lubricant that was on recall — but unfortunately did not know at the time — and triggered a preexisting condition.

Dr. Chan worked on Needham with stem cells known as the Cincinnati procedure provided the author could provide her own donor. She quickly found one from a retired nurse that helped her gain clear vision again. The treatment inspired Needham to help Dr. Chan make this procedure easier for future recipients.

“I was one of one of the lucky ones,” Needham explained. “It was live tissue and I had such a perfect match. What I want to do is help Dr. Clara Chan create a stem cell registry so when it comes time to need this, it’ll make it far less stressful and more efficient.”

Unfortunately, Needham redamaged her eyes from a compost bucket moisture. Invasive fungus hit her eyes, grew over them and put her back to square one with glaucoma damage. The fungus had to be scraped over 17 weeks until it was eradicated. As a result, she can only see centrally and not peripherally.

During the trip, several onlookers and bystanders would strike conversations with the pair. Needham was astonished by how many stories that related to her situation were told by others.

“While we’re able to talk to people on our rest, it’s amazing how many stories you get from other individuals who are clinically blind or have another disability,” she said. “It’s inspirational. People see our signage, hear our story and slip us $20.”

“Part of the thing that makes it memorable is a number of people can relate,” added Rousseau. “It’s amazing how many people are affected by blindness. It’s out there.”

Needham’s book, ‘The Blind Girl Sees’ shares her experiences dealing with going from perfect vision to becoming blind. All proceeds from her book sales go towards her $80,000 goal.

“If you think about possibilities regardless of your disability, human beings are very resilient if we allow ourselves to be,” said Needham. “It feels amazing that I can be active and do something for others.”

Donations can also be accepted online and her book is available on her website.

Roughly $10,000 has been raised during this article’s publication according to Rosseau.

The duo is arriving in Peterborough next Friday, rest the following day and leave for Cannington on the 14th.

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Volunteers Collecting Donations To Send Kenya Lacrosse Team To World Championship

Volunteers will be collecting donations for the Kenya Lacrosse team at Thursday nights Lakers game.

Kenyan lacrosse players sporting some PTBO gear. Photo courtesy of Ashlee Aitkin.

Ashlee Aitkin, general manager at Kawarthas Food Share, began volunteering with Kenya Lacrosse when the women’s team came to Peterborough for the World Champions in 2019.

Since then she has continued working with the organization and done what she can do to help from home.

On Thursday Aitkin and other volunteers will be at the doors of the memorial Centre to collect donations for the Kenya U21 boys lacrosse team.

The team will travel to Limerick, Ireland in two weeks to compete at the World Championship.

According to Aitkin it will cost approximately $200,000 to get the team to the championship. This includes airfare, accommodations, the proper VISA to allow them to stay and any tournament fees.

Those that are interested in donating but unable to attend tonight’s game are welcome to donate to the teams GoFundMe.

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Registration Open For 2022 Hike For Hospice

Registration is now open for the 20th annual Hike for Hospice event, taking place from September 10 - 16.

File Photo.

After another difficult year with COVID-19 that put strain on every aspect of hospice care in the community including a skyrocketing demand for services, more complicated forms of grief, overstretched human resources and decreased fundraising - Hospice Peterborough asks for the community’s support to make its annual fundraiser Hike for Hospice a great success again this year.

“Hike is our only fundraising event that has continued throughout the pandemic, although it too has had interruptions, and we rely on it to continue helping any Peterborough city and county resident – for absolutely no fees – through their palliative, end-of-life and grief journeys,” said Hajni Hős, Hospice Peterborough executive director. “We thank all of our hard working committee members and our wonderful supporters who continue to invest in our accredited programs and services as well as the community’s wellbeing. We couldn’t do it without you.”

The weeklong event will include opening ceremonies, to premiere on YouTube, with special themes each day, and wrapping up with the virtual closing ceremonies. This will be the third consecutive year that Hike has been held virtually in order to err on the side of caution for the community

Last year’s Hike for Hospice brought in $66,000 and included 16 local teams made up of 133 registered participants

100 per cent of proceeds raised stay in Peterborough. Funds support 25 programs and services including a bereaved parents support group, day hospice, palliative navigation, groups for children and teens and a 10-bed end-of-life residence. Hospice also offers community education events, including workshops and seminars, about issues such as end-of-life care, bereavement or supporting children in grief.

Registration for this year’s Hike for Hospice can be found here.

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Remembering Peterborough's Gary Dalliday With Caring For Our Communities Golf Tournament

Community Care will host the Gary Dalliday Memorial Caring For Our Communities Golf Tournament on August 15 at The Quarry Golf Course in Ennismore.

Photo courtesy of The Quarry Golf Club.

Dalliday, who was affectionately known as ‘The Diller’, played for the Petes in the 1960-61 season. In 1976, he began an over 30 year career delivering sportscasts on CHEX-TV, retiring in 2009.

He focused on local sports, and had been a champion of the Peterborough and area sport scene for decades. Dalliday is a member of the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame and Peterborough Pathway of Fame.

Among his many charitable efforts in the Peterborough area, Dalliday served as a volunteer with Community Care Peterborough delivering Meals on Wheels to seniors and adults with disabilities.

“Our family is proud and thankful of this opportunity,” said Pete, on behalf of the Dalliday Family.  “My dad would be very pleased with proceeds of this event helping Community Care.”

This fundraising event has a BBQ lunch available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m., putting dinner around 5:30 p.m. depending on the pace of play. Cost is $175 per player.

The proceeds of the event will support the Meals on Wheels program in Peterborough, Selwyn Township (Ennismore and Bridgenorth) and Buckhorn areas.

“The demand for this program is growing in these areas and throughout Peterborough County, so this fundraising event in Gary’s memory is so appreciated and attached to a program that he believed in too,” said Alicia Vandine, Donor Relations and Communication Lead at Community Care Peterborough.

Last year, Community Care Peterborough delivered 45,186 meals and 4,952 grocery orders within their Meals on Wheels program.

To participate or for more information about this event contact Alicia at Community Care Peterborough (705)775-3083, ext. 224 or visit https://www.commcareptbo.org/GaryDallidayMemorialGolf.

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United Way For City Of Kawartha Lakes Opens The Edwin Binney Community Garden Farm Stand To Combat Food Insecurity

United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes will be offering fresh produce from Edwin Binney’s Community Garden every Tuesday, beginning on July 26, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. or as long as stock lasts.

Photo courtesy of United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Produce will be sold using a variable pricing model allowing shoppers to pay below market, at market, or above market values depending on their budget.

With rising rates of inflation affecting the majority of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton residents, United Way CKLH strives to offer affordable solutions that also help their projects grow to serve greater numbers of people in the community. Community members that are able to pay more will help to offset the cost for those that cannot afford market price.

Since the gardens inception four years ago, United Way CKL has donated nearly 35,000 lbs of produce to local organizations and food banks. All proceeds from the farm stand will be put back into the ongoing development and maintenance of the United Way CKL community farm.

For the time being, the Farm Stand will only be able to accept cash payment.

Weekly offerings will be posted on social media channels in advance of each week’s Tuesday market.

The Edwin Binney Community Garden Farm Stand is located at 50 Mary Street location in Lindsay.

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Local Candy Shop is Donated Mall Storefront To Help Cancer Fundraiser

A sweet deal for Lisa Couture and her candygram store ‘Couture Candy PTBO’ as they were donated storefront space in Lansdowne Place to aid in their ‘Cancer Care is Sweet’ fundraiser announced Thursday.

Photo by Luke Best.

The new storefront is located in Lansdowne Place between Journeys and Claire’s at the bottom of the escalator. Couture Candy PTBO is occupying the space until the end of the year.

The mall contacted Couture via e-mail about being given the storefront space which came as an unexpected yet pleasant surprise. The mall recognized the candygram store’s community efforts which resulted in the offer Couture could not refuse.

“They were figuring out how to work with us and admired our business because it’s so community-driven,” explained Couture. “It’s expensive to be in the mall and he thought our campaign was a perfect opportunity and they have an empty space.”

The fundraising proceeds go towards the Peterborough Regional Health Center Foundation for cancer care with a goal of $10,000. The campaign started on June 21 and runs until Oct. 3. However, if the campaign is running strong and donations continue near the end date, it will continue according to Couture.

“$10,000 is a lot for a small business so every little bit helps,” said Couture.

The new Lansdowne location will require more staff as Couture is hiring. Photo courtesy of Lisa Couture.

The shop is selling select bags of candy where $1 of each product sold goes towards the foundations. Several charity candy bags feature freeze-dried brand candy and assorted mixes.

Donations can also be made at the store or online.

Their downtown location will remain in its original location with no plans to move said Couture. No dates have been announced for its grand opening but will have the same operating hours as the mall.

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Small Town Boys Putting Havelock On The Map As Softball Team Selected To Represent Ontario At Eastern Canadian Championships In Nova Scotia

The Havelock Express U15 Rep Softball team has been selected by the Ontario Amateur Softball Association (OASA) to represent Ontario at the Eastern Canadian Championships being held in Brookfield, Nova Scotia.

Front Row: Braydon Cooper, Dennis Roberts, Austin Levesque, Gage Locke Back Row: Coach Dave Cooper, Coach Bryce Levesque, Jori Ayrhart, Raine Ayrhart, Josh Davis, Kaleb MacDonald, Wes Menard, Nolan Mahoney, Jack Burns, Holden Rutherford, Coach Mike Menard. Photo courtesy of Havelock Express Minor Softball Association.

Cheryl and Bryce Levesque started the Havelock Minor Softball Program eight years ago in hopes to help youth develop their skills while allowing them to play locally.

The U15 Rep team plays in the Kawartha Softball League, though they play exhibition games with stronger teams in the OASA from neighboring communities.

Last weekend the team competed in the OASA Eliminations in Grafton, a tournament that seeds teams into their brackets for provincials.

Havelock Express was ranked number one in the B bracket.

On Sunday, Bryce, who helps coach the team, received an unexpected phone call inviting the team to represent Ontario at the Eastern Canadian Championships in Nova Scotia.

“OASA called my husband and told him the news,” said Cheryl. “We didn’t have a game until Tuesday so that’s when we told the parents and kids. They were shocked.”

Cheryl says the majority of the team has been playing ball together since the program started.

“They’ve grown up playing ball together.”

The team was given until Wednesday at noon to accept the invitation and now have about one month to raise the funds to get the boys to Nova Scotia.

They hope to raise $10,000 - $12,000, which will be split evenly amongst players families to cover some of the cost of travel and accommodations.

Cheryl says as of Friday she already has $600 in donations in her hand, with plenty of local business owners having pledged to sponsor the team as well.

“Our community is absolutely unbelievable,” she said. “Even before this happened local businesses have always been so eager to help. We got new jerseys this year and were hoping to have a couple teams sponsored, they stepped right up and sponsored all six teams. We were able to get some new equipment, some bats, it’s really amazing.”

As a team made up of local boys in a town of just under 5000 people, Cheryl says this opportunity is a huge deal.

“We are a small little town known for our jamboree and a train station. This is so overwhelming we’re still trying to process it,” she said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for this team and a chance to not only represent Ontario but also our town.”

The four day tournament will run from Aug. 18 - 21. In the past OASA has sent 2-3 teams to represent Ontario against teams from Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Quebec.

“We hope to go down there and be competitive. If we do well that’s a bonus.”

Those wishing to make a donation can E-Transfer Erin King, Havelock Minor Softball Program Fundraiser Coordinator at erin_king@kprdsb.ca. Tax receipts can be issued if mentioned in a note.

Businesses that would like to donate or sponsor the team should reach out to Cheryl Levesque at 705-750-5205 or at m_r_jewel@hotmail.com.

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Local Beer Stores Collecting Empties For PRHC Foundation

Beer Store locations in Peterborough will be giving customers the option to donate their empty returns to support the PRHC Foundation until Aug. 28.

File Photo.

Donations made at Peterborough and area The Beer Store locations below will help fund the equipment and technology the healthcare workers at Peterborough Regional Health Centre use to provide patient care.

Last year The Beer Store supported over 100 local hospitals and foodbanks and raised $258,843.

Participating locations include:

• Store 4701 – 570 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough, K9J 6Z8

• Store 4702 – 139 George St. N., Peterborough, K9J 3G6

• Store 4703 – 1154 Chemong Rd., Peterborough, K9H 7J6

• Store 4705 – 882 Ward St., Bridgenorth, K0L 1H0

• Store 4709 – 102 Queen St., Lakefield, K0L 2H0

• Store 4710 – 1900 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough, K9J 3K7

Customers are also invited to make monetary donations at the till, without returning empties.

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Tim Hortons Camp Day Sending Local Kids To Camp

Camp Day at Time Hortons is taking place on Wednesday. When a coffee is purchased at Tim Hortons proceeds will go towards sending a local child to camp.

File Photo.

On Wednesday, only proceeds from hot or iced coffee will go towards Camp Day fundraising.

Other ways to contribute include purchasing a camp bracelet, camp socks, rounding up the total cost of an order or making a donation.

The intention is to send children to summer camp that may otherwise not have the means to.

Since Camp Day began, Tim Hortons has sent over 300,000 kids to camp.

According to their website, kids attending camp not only have fun, they develop important life skills, build positive relationships an interpersonal skills.

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