Trent Student Hosting Second Annual Sleep Out To Raise Awareness And Funds For Homelessness In Peterborough

Simal Iftikhar, a Trent University student, is hosting the second annual Sleep Out in support of the Youth Emergency Shelter (YES) and the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC) on Sept. 10.

Simal is currently pursuing her master’s in education at Trent University. Photo courtesy of Simal Iftikhar.

Last year Iftikhar slept outside during the winter to highlight the struggles of homeless people sleeping outside in the cold.

Due to COVID restrictions she invited others that wanted to participate to do so on their own but this year she is inviting anyone that wants to participate to join her at the Lion’s Club in East City.

In contrast to last year, this years event will be hosted in the summer to demonstrate the unique challenges that come with being unhoused in the summer heat.

Part of the reason Iftikhar is hosting this event can be attributed to her time working in the mental health sector.

“We’re experiencing a crisis within a crisis,” she said. “We know the pandemic has increased mental health inequities. and those that experience that the most are already marginalized.”

She also notes the impact that COVID-19 has had on shelters.

“I’ve talked with shelter workers and they have to turn people away when they never have before, we can’t let that happen. These people are just like us, they’re people who lost their jobs, who just can’t make ends meet.”

While working in mental health Iftikhar says she spoke with many young people experiencing homelessness that were also victims of human trafficking.

She hopes that through this event she can raise awareness of the challenges homeless youth face, while fundraising for YES and KSAC.

During last years event she raised over $5,000 and she hopes to do that again.

Iftikhar says in speaking with employees at the YES Shelter, she learned that a large portion of their funding comes from the municipality and the rest comes from individual donors.

She will split the funds 50/50 and leave it up to each organization to decide what they will do with the donation.

Donations can be made online. Those interested in joining Iftikhar on September 10 are asked to register for free on Eventbrite and bring their own sleeping bag and cardboard sign.

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Down Syndrome Association Looking For Volunteers At Annual Kawartha Tri Sport Tournament

The seventh annual Kawartha Tri Sport Tournament to benefit the Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough is looking for volunteers for Sept. 10 from 12 - 8 p.m.

Photo from Kawartha Tri Sport.

Kawartha Tri-Sport is a three day, three sport tournament that challenges teams with golf, three-pitch and ball hockey.

There is a division for men and women.

Since it’s inception, Kawartha Tri Sport has raised over $115,000 for local charities.

Proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the Down Syndrome Association of Peterborough, Five Counties Children’s Centre and the Alzheimer’s Society of Peterborough.

Representatives from the Down Syndrome Association will be on site on Saturday and are looking for volunteers to run 50/50, umpire ball games, offer support as needed and to cheer for athletes.

Those interested should email info@downsyndromepeterborough.ca.

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8U Peterborough Tigers Host Fundraiser In Support Of Local Family After The Loss Of Their Son

The 8U Peterborough Tigers Baseball team are hosting an online raffle to raise money in support of the Birkhof family, after the passing of their son Steve Stapley this month.

Photo courtesy of the Birkhof family.

Stapley and the Birkhof family were very involved in the Peterborough sports community.

Before his unexpected passing Stapley was a valued defenseman with Lakefield Rage Sr Lacrosse Club and helped take the team to the 2021 Ontario Championships.

Stapley was an advocate for youth sports so to honour his memory the family is asking for donations to the Peterborough Minor Lacrosse Association in Steve’s name in lieu of flowers .

Those interested in donating can etransfer pmlavpfinance@gmail.com with the info note ‘Steve Stapley Registration Fund’.

Stapley’s nephew is a member of the 8U Peterborough Tigers, so in hopes to support his family during this time, the team is hosting an online raffle.

Prizes include $1,200 of gift cards to a variety of stores, a Gyroor EBike (worth $650), and a Google Nest Hub.

Tickets are one for $5, three for $10 or eight for $20. They can be purchased by etransferring money to Birkhofdonation@gmail.com and including a full name and email in the comment.

The draw will be held on Sept. 3 and the winner will be contacted directly.

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Lemonade Stand Raises Over $200 For Mount Community Centre Affordable Housing And Food Security Programs

On Sunday five-year-old Loretta Cameron raised $242.00 for The Mount Community Centre by hosting a by donation lemonade stand.

left to right Andi van Koeverden,Strategic Advancement Director, The Mount Community Centre, Steve Kylie, Board Chair,The Mount Community Centre, and Donna Kylie. Seated Loretta Cameron, Mike Gauthier, Manager, Stenson Family Market. Photo courtesy of Nancy Sharpe.

Cameron, who is from Kingston, was visiting her grandparents and spent the weekend preparing for her fundraiser.

“It's never too early to teach children the value of empathy, volunteering, and charitable giving,” said Mike and Sue Gauthier, Cameron’s grandparents.

Mike is a manager at Stenson Family Market in Peterborough, where the lemonade stand was held.

Cameron provided free lemonade, chips and candies in exchange for donations to The Mount Community Centre to help them continue their work in the development of affordable housing and food security.

“Helping our kids experience the happiness that comes from giving to others is probably one of the most valuable ways we can nurture generosity in them,” said Gauthier. “By giving, children truly understand what kindness is and the importance of giving, not just receiving.”

“Children naturally love to help others, so getting them involved in donating to charity or volunteering when they are young is a great idea,’ said Stephen Kylie, Board Chairperson at The Mount Community Centre. “We sincerely thank Loretta and her family for their involvement in helping raise money for The Mount Community Centre.”

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"Stand With Tim" Campaign Raises Over $14,000 For Non-Profit Organizations to Benefit Children

Community organization Peterborough Cares’ “Stand With Tim” campaign raised $14,270.59 for the New Canadians Centre (NCC) and United Way Peterborough & District’s "Backpacks for Success" program.

Backpacks are being stuffed at Kenner Collegiate Vocational Institute on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service.

The funds were received by both organizations at the Peterborough Police station on Saturday with Mayor Diane Therrien and Coun. Lesley Parnell in attendance.

The one-day fundraising event began on Aug. 19 on the corner of King and George Street where local musicians performed a free concert while volunteers collected donations. Musicians included SJ Riley, Shawn Hully, Cole LeBlanc, Baz Littlerock, Ariel Riley, High Waters and Joe McCulley.

There was $2,000 from the Peterborough Police Service to kickstart the fundraiser. The police service board gave $1,000, the police senior team gave $500 and the police board chair gave $500.

A GoFundMe was set up to aid in the fundraising efforts for those who could not attend the event.

Proceeds were split between the NCC and United Way. The latter’s campaign was using the proceeds to fill 690 backpacks with school supplies for children returning to class in September. They needed $15,000 to complete their goal since the demand for school supplies increased by 90 per cent according to the United Way.

During the last three years, proceeds went to homeless shelters. Acting police chief Tim Farquharson took a preventive approach this year by using the proceeds for children’s education. He says prison incarceration rates, crime and imprisonment correlate with the number of kids who fail to graduate high school.

“Anything we can do to encourage that chance to reach a potential by staying in school as long as possible, the better,” he said in a prior interview with PTBOCanada.

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"Stand With Tim" Campaign Raising Money For "Backpacks for Success" Program and New Canadians Centre

Community organization Peterborough Cares hosted its fourth annual “Stand With Tim” fundraiser to aid the New Canadians Centre (NCC) and United Way Peterborough & District’s "Backpacks for Success" to give backpacks to needing children on Friday.

Jamie Emos (pictured) collecting donations from the corner of King and George Street in front of The Venue. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

In years past, proceeds typically go towards homeless shelters. This time, acting Peterborough Police chief Tim Farquharson is taking a preventive approach with this year’s fundraiser. He says prison incarceration rates, crime and imprisonment correlate with the number of kids who fail to graduate high school.

“Anything we can do to encourage that chance to reach a potential by staying in school as long as possible, the better,” he said.

Funds are shared between the United Way and the NCC with none going towards administrative costs. Roughly 690 backpacks with school supplies are needed for the former to get to schools in time for September.

The charity is gathering volunteers to stuff the backpacks on Aug. 30 to be available for pickup from schools the following day. No generic donor funds go towards the campaign but are collected separately.

United Way requires $15,000 to complete its goal since the demand for school supplies increased by 90 per cent according to Sara Mountenay, United Way communications officer.

“There are a lot of students whose parents simply can't afford to purchase the school supplies that everyone else has and take for granted because they're too focused on, let's face it, putting a roof over their head or paying for groceries so the demand this year was unprecedented,” she said.

NCC was chosen as the fundraiser beneficiary as the organization is in need of funding. He says he wants those families including the children to get off on the right foot and in a new country.

“We want new Canadians to come here and feel comfortable and reduce any challenges we can and set them up for success,” explained Farquharson.

The police service board gave $1,000, the police senior team gave $500 and the police board chair gave $500, totalling $2,000 to kick off the fundraiser.

A GoFundMe has been set up to aid in the fundraising efforts for those who could not attend the event.

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The War in Ennismore: Amateur Boxing Returns to The Kawarthas

Corcoran’s Boxing Club is hosting its first-ever show as a fundraiser for the club’s youth program and competitive team on Saturday.

Pete Dalliday (left) throws some punches with Jay Corcoran (right). Photo by Luke Best.

The War in Ennismore: Revival is held at the Robert E. Young Recreation Complex in Ennismore. The Ontario Boxing sanctioned event will feature 12 amateur fights from boxers across the province.

At least one women’s match will take place, as well as fights featuring boxers as young as eight years old. Corcoran’s Boxing Club features a youth program that is run in conjunction with the Ennismore Optimist Club.

Ennismore was chosen as the location to host the event due to multiple club members’ ties to the area. This includes Jay Corcoran, the club’s founder, who was born and raised there.

This is the first amateur boxing event in the Kawarthas since the start of the pandemic.

Doors open at 6 p.m. with the first fight at 7 p.m. Admission is $20 at the door.

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Spinning Wheels Tour Riding Its Way to Peterborough This Monday For Parkinson's

The Spinning Wheels Tour that brings awareness for exercise benefits for people with Parkinson’s while fundraising is coming to Peterborough at the Wild Rock Outfitters parking lot on Monday.

The Spinning Wheels Tour has covered over 5,000 kms since June 25. Photo courtesy of Spinning Wheels Tour.

The tour consists of four friends with three cyclists living with Parkinson’s Disease and one dedicated RV driver who are cycling across Canada.

The group is in town from 1:30 - 3 p.m. in the back parking lot at Wild Rock Outfitters on 169 Charlotte St.

Anyone is welcome to attend the meet and greet prior to the team cycling on the tour. Visitors can make donations, purchase tour apparel and enjoy light refreshments during the event.

Cyclists are welcome to ride along with the group. Full route details can be found online.

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Inaugural Gary Dalliday Memorial Golf Tournament Raises Over $10,000 For Community Care Peterborough

There were 99 golfers that participated in the inaugural Gary Dalliday Memorial charity golf tournament, raising over $10,000 in support of Community Care Peterborough at the Quarry Golf Club in Ennismore on Monday.

Tim (left), Krista (middle) and Pete Dalliday (right) were in the tournament’s attendance to help honour their late father who passed away on Aug. 10, 2018. All photos by Jordan Cooper.

Tournament proceeds went towards Community Care’s support offices in Ennismore and Buckhorn.

“We only about 50 per cent of our funding from the Ontario Government so events like this and fundraising that we do are very important,” said Alicia Vandine, Community Care donor relations. “Our growth and our need for services as people are aging are getting bigger and bigger.”

Proceeds also went towards their Meals on Wheels program, a volunteer position Dalliday was often involved in. The program provided food to seniors living alone, adults with disabilities unable to cook or get groceries or recently discharged patients from hospitals. Dalliday often delivered meals on the organization’s behalf for the program.

A silent auction was held after the tournament and dinner’s conclusion with funds going towards the same cause. Items such as a Michael Bunting Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, a golf club, golf bag and Peterborough Petes Suite tickets were available for auction.

The tournament’s idea spawned from his grandson Nick who previously did a placement with Community Care. Eventually, Gary’s children Pete, Tim and Krista got onboard in making the event happen.

“It speaks to a cause he believed in and the fact that it is a local-based charity, this was one that was near and dear to his heart,” said Tim Dalliday. “It's a very worthy cause and I think he would be very proud of what we're doing today and raising some funds for Community Care.”

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Support Pours In For Millbrook Boy After Eye Doctors Appointment Becomes Emergency Trip To Sick Kids

Jolene Downer took her son Riley to a regular eye doctor appointment on Thursday expecting a usual checkup, but within a few minutes of them being there fluid was found behind his eyes and Jolene was instructed to take him to the emergency department at Sick Kids.

Photo courtesy of the Downer family.

According to family friend Erin Bonnet this news took everyone by surprise. Riley is a healthy kid with no previous issues.

By 10 p.m. that night they arrived at Sick Kids in Toronto.

Friday morning Riley had surgery to complete a biopsy and to have the fluid drained. After an MRI doctors confirmed that the fluid is draining properly so the family is now awaiting biopsy results.

The results are expected to be in in 3 - 5 days, but until then the family doesn’t know how long their hospital stay will be or what type of treatment Riley will need.

Currently, only one parent can stay at the hospital so Jolene will remain in Toronto while her husband Steve will be driving back and fourth and staying with Riley’s younger brother Tristan.

In hopes to help offset the cost of gas for Steve, bills that come with living out of a hospital and from the loss of working, Bonnet set up a GoFundMe for the family.

“I myself have been through a long haul at sick kids and we had a lot of help ourselves,” she said. “You don’t expect it but if you do get it it helps in more ways than just financial. It boosts your spirits knowing people are so willing.”

Bonnet shared the GoFundMe on Saturday and has since raised close to $3,000.

“It feels like people aren’t even thinking twice,” she said. “This is such an outgoing family, so many people are willing to help.”

To donate to the GoFundMe click here.

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