Peterborough Ninja's Crush It At Ajax Judo Tournament, Academy Continues To Grow In Popularity

Ninja Academy student’s grit and determination was tested on Sunday, February 9th in Ajax to bring home medals from the Shiai (tournament) that hosted young judoka from all across Ontario.

Logan Dunbar won all his matches to secure a Gold in his division, Luis Sperling demonstrated three beautiful throws to get Silver in his division, and Elijah Falls fought diligently to secure his Bronze medal finish with an excellent demonstration of ukemi. Orion Teleki competed in the Ukemi Competition and secured a Gold medal finish with thanks to Sensei Tomoyoshi Hino.

Photo courtesy Ninja Academy

“All Judoka are being celebrated for their courage to compete and commitment to self- improvement,” says Sensei Paul Teleki, pictured above with the students. “They always show up focused and determined to improve themselves and others around them, and it is because of their dedication that all students in the academy will also benefit from their experience and knowledge when they return and train together.”

Because the Ninja Academy is a young club, all students competed against judoka who were of higher rank and age, so the feat of competing in this tournament came with an increased challenge.

Photo courtesy Ninja Academy

The Ninja Academy was formed in 2015 by founding Sensei Paul Teleki and operates in partnership with the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre. It instills values of confidence and respect, all the while promoting fitness and physical awareness.

The academy is growing in popularity quickly, and now has 135+ students, 5 youth Ninja Leaders and apprentices. Residents of all ages—classes are offered from 16 months old to adults—are invited to visit the Ninja Academy on Fridays at 7:15 p.m. at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre in room MPR-A.

Visit ninjaacademy.ca, call 705.868.8683 or email here to learn more about the Ninja Academy.

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The Amazing Impact Five Counties Children's Centre Has Had On 4 Kids Participating With Peterborough Petes On Family Day

Seven-year-old Daniel’s training at Five Counties Children’s Centre has honed his skills to the point where he has been drafted to skate with the Peterborough Petes on Family Day this year.

As the Petes’ Canadian Tire Seventh Skater, Daniel will represent Five Counties Children’s Centre, which is benefitting from partial ticket proceeds and several activities at the Peterborough Memorial Centre at their game against the Sudbury Wolves.

Left to right: Lois Tuffin (Five Counties Children’s Centre), Mitchell M., Mitchell F, Daniel (shooting ball) Peterborough Petes' group sales co-ordinator Drew Nascimento and Elliot. (Photo courtesy Five Counties Children’s Centre)

“Five Counties has made a huge impact on Daniel’s life,” says his mother Tina. “He went from being an observer in social settings, to confidently becoming a participant.”

When Daniel first came in for treatment at age 2, he was choking on his food and could only say a few words. His therapists helped him learn to eat and identified his apraxia (disconnection) of speech. Now he is an active, healthy child who communicates more clearly and plays hockey for the Ennismore Eagles.

 “As his therapist said at the beginning of our journey it was, and still is, like preparing for the Olympics,” his mom adds. “Although we did not see huge changes following each session, the growth has been steady. After many appointments, and perseverance from Daniel, he is able to express his thoughts and ideas through speaking.”

Photo courtesy Five Counties Children’s Centre

Daniel and his teammates will have additional coaching help on Family Day from Mitchell and Mitchell, two hockey-loving teenagers who are also clients at Five Counties.

Mitchell F., 16, started coming for treatment as a baby, but needed more intensive and varied therapies after having a stroke at 18 months. “Mitchell, defying the odds, learned to walk at three-and-a-half years of age,” his mother Anita says. “Despite being told he may never walk or talk, he is a confident and kind 16-year-old, credit earning, Grade 10 student.”

Mitchell is active in two school clubs and volunteered with the football and baseball teams. He has been playing sledge hockey for the past seven years and won the award for Most Dedicated Player for three of those years.

Meanwhile, Mitchell M., 18, began treatments at Five Counties at age one and has tapped into services for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy—not to mention support from therapeutic recreation, social work and Augmentative Communication Services.

 “They have been on this great journey of developing his speech, encouraging activities of daily living, and assisting with appropriate mobility devices,” his mother Yvonne says. “Five Counties has been an integral part of Mitchell’s quality of life by participating in the increase of his skill level and his mobility.”

The staff have helped him try sledge hockey, borrow an accessible bicycle and try out walkers and wheelchairs until he found the right fit.

Up in the announcer’s box, Elliot, 8, will show how he has found his voice, thanks to his treatments at Five Counties. He will shadow announcer Gord Gibb in announcing the game’s opening lineup.

Born with Weidemann Steiner Syndrome, he initially came in for treatments to get him to crawling to walking just in time to start kindergarten. Due to his autism and intellectual delay, he also needed help to find the proper words to describe items and his feelings.

 “Now, it is almost inconceivable to think that at one time Elliot wasn’t able to express his dissatisfaction or happiness about situations, properly through his speech,” his father Ben says. “The speech sessions help kick-start Elliot’s ability to express himself in a way that the people around him will understand what he is trying to say.”

On Family Day, the game begins at 2:05 p.m. with activities in the lobby for the hour beforehand. Petes’ fans can get their faces painted, play tabletop hockey and build with giant Lego blocks. All proceeds from these activities, plus Chuck a Puck at a Truck, will help more children like Daniel, Mitchell, Mitchell and Elliot to get life-changing therapies at Five Counties Children’s Centre. 

Tickets are available at the reception desk at the Five Counties Children’s Centre at 872 Dutton Road in Peterborough or by contacting Fund Development Co-ordinator Lois Tuffin at 705.748.2337, ext. 380 or by email here.  

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Peterborough Utilities Group To Host Job Fair For Summer Students, 18 Positions Available

On Saturday, February 8th, Peterborough Utilities Group (PUG) will be hosting a job fair for summer students.

Candidates interested in summer employment within their group of companies are invited to attend the Rotary Education Centre at the Riverview Park and Zoo, from 9:30 a.m. until noon.

PUG will have Human Resources staff on hand to answer questions and provide guidance on the hiring process. Candidates must be available for full-time work from April 27th until August 28th, and have a valid “G” class licence.

Students must also be currently enrolled in full-time post-secondary education and returning to full-time studies in the fall. Visit their career section here to view their 18 summer student openings for 2020 and to apply online.

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Popular In From the Cold Holiday Concert Has Been Supporting Peterborough Homeless Youth For Two Decades

John Hoffman, Creator and Director of the well-known In From the Cold concert, has announced that 2019 is the 20th year the concert will be running in Peterborough to raise money for the YES Shelter for Youth and Families.

This cherished concert started two decades ago with some talented Peterborough musicians looking to perform around the holidays. When deciding on where the proceeds should go, the group decided that youth experiencing homelessness in their community was the most pressing issue. Fast forward to today, and the In From the Cold concert has raised a whopping $130,000 in support of YES.

John Hoffman, Creator and Director of the In From the Cold Concert, with Meagan Hennekam, Executive Director for the YES Shelter

“These local musicians and performers put on an amazing show, and we feel very lucky to benefit from the show year after year,” says Meagan Hennekam, Executive Director of the YES Shelter for Youth and Families. “This year, it comes at a time when we are expanding our youth housing program, so the funds raised will be going directly to housing young people and working to resolve the issues that have caused their housing insecurity.”

In From the Cold is a different kind of Christmas concert, offering an enchanting mix of Celtic-style carols and seasonal songs performed by some of Peterborough’s top folk and roots musicians. Many Peterborough residents attend the concert year after year.

Tickets are general admission ($20 for adults, $15 for students and children) for the shows December 6th and 7th, and are on sale now at Market Hall (140 Charlotte Street).

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PRHC Foundation Mombassadors Raise Amazing $115,504 For PRHC Babies In Need

The Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation Mombassadors, a group of local mothers inspired by their own children's experiences at PRHC, presented PRHC Foundation with a cheque for $115,504 to purchase lifesaving equipment for PRHC’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

"The PRHC Foundation Mombassadors took on a huge goal in only our second year of $102,000," says the group's 2019 chair Marcy D'Alessandro. "We were motivated by the continuous stories that parents would tell us of their babies using the very equipment we were trying to replace. We constantly heard about the wonderful staff of the NICU. We know without their unwavering drive for excellence in care, the community would not be so receptive in helping us achieve our ambitious goal."

After receiving a matching donation of $32,000 from the Liftlock Atom Hockey Tournament in the spring, the group adjusted their original target of $70,000 to be bigger and bolder.

"The partnership of the Liftlock Atom Hockey Tournament was a game-changer for our campaign this year," adds Sarah McDougall Perrin, who founded Mombassadors along with her sister Erin Marshall. "The support of these incredible community partners allowed us to dream bigger, to surpass $100,000 this year and together make a greater impact."

Over 1,600 babies are born at PRHC each year, and the Mombassadors’ 2019 fundraising target was designed to fund a new ventilator and a radiant heater/warmer for those babies who need extra support after birth. Through the group’s successful fundraising efforts, they will be able to fund both pieces of equipment for the hospital.

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Enactus Fleming College Wins People’s Choice At World Project Expo In California

Enactus Fleming College won the People’s Choice at the World Project Expo at the Enactus World Cup 2019 in San Jose, California.

The Fleming College team presented their Paper Planet Project, which focuses on diverting paper from landfill and recycling, and turning it into products that can later be sold. The Paper Planet Project is a social enterprise that is creating products that are biodegradable and inexpensive while reducing our environmental footprint.

Picture from World Project Expo courtesy Fleming College

“We are so proud of our team, who have invested time and passion into this project and it is an honour to be recognized on the world stage,” says Raymond Yip Choy, Lead Enactus faculty advisor, and professor, Business Studies at Fleming College. “This is validation that our project has value and the potential to grow and change our community.”

Enactus World Cup 2019 showcases entrepreneurial action and social innovation. Every year, a select group of 3,000 students, businesses and academic leaders from around the world gather at Enactus World Cup to showcase the entrepreneurial action and shared innovation that address the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals transforming lives and creating a better future.

To learn more about Enactus at Fleming, go here.

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Watch: Great Back To School Road Safety Tips From Peterborough Police's Traffic Sergeant

It's that time of year again, as student and school bus safety becomes paramount.

Peterborough Police want you to have a safe and happy school year ahead, and that includes being extra diligent in school safety zones.

Traffic Sergeant Ryan Wilson

Peterborough Police Traffic Sergeant Ryan Wilson provides great back-to-school tips for motorists with you in this video he filmed with us.

Watch it (and share) on Facebook here…

Or Twitter here…

PSA: Please share this great advice, tips and info regarding students and school bus safety from @PtboPolice Traffic Sergeant Ryan Wilson. pic.twitter.com/NPRPWV2MZQ

— PTBO_CANADA 🇨🇦 (@Ptbo_Canada) August 28, 2019

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Family Donates Wall-Mounted Bell To Ring For Children That Finish Chemo Treatments At PRHC

Harper Friel had her last cancer treatment recently at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

To celebrate the awesome occasion, her family donated a wall-mounted bell that other patients in the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) clinic at PRHC can ring when they are finished their own chemo treatments.

Harper ringing the bell

The inspiring message next to the bell with a rainbow motif says:

“Ring this bell
Three times well
Its toll to clearly say
My treatments done
The course is run
And I am on my way”

Watch the full video below of Harper ringing the bell…

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Faith Dickinson Chosen One of 12 Outstanding Young People For The Diana Award’s Change_Makers

Lakefield’s Faith Dickinson has been chosen as one of 12 outstanding young people from across the world to take centre stage for The Diana Award’s Change_Makers campaign.

The campaign kicks-off the Diana Award’s 20th anniversary year to drive a new wave of nominations from across the world for an award in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Faith Dickinson (Photo courtesy Diana Award)

The Diana Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work. The youth charity benefits from the support of Diana, Princess of Wales’ sons, The Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex—both of whom Faith met in May 2017 when she received a Legacy Award from them.

All the young people leading the campaign alongside Faith—who come from the UK, USA, Canada, India and UAE—challenge negative stereotypes young people are often labelled with.

Faith (3rd from right) is one of 12 kids from around world chosen for campaign

Faith, 16, a Grade 11 student at Lakefield College School, received a Diana Award herself in 2017 for starting Cuddles for Cancer, a non-profit organization which provides blankets to people suffering from cancer and other illnesses.

To date, she has made more than 4,000 blankets and they have been sent across Canada, the United States, the UK, Germany, Brazil, Australia, France and countries in Africa.

Among many other accolades in recent years, Faith was also winner of a Me To We Youth In Action Award in 2015, and was the Youth Ambassador (a newly created role) on the United Way Peterborough campaign cabinet in 2017/18.

Faith with Will and Harry in 2017

Faith’s involvement in the campaign follows her invitation to Windsor, UK as a group of young people from The Diana Award who attended the Royal Wedding of HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last year.

Nominations for a Diana Award are now open for young people aged 9 to 25 years. The deadline is March 29th. Nominate someone here.

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