Everyone Go To The Amazing Dragon Boat Festival This Saturday & Cheer On The Racers

Seventy-nine community teams, four breast cancer survivor teams, and more than 1,600 paddlers are getting ready to hit the water for Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival this Saturday (June 14th) at Little Lake, Del Crary Park. Races get underway at 8:30 a.m, and Opening Ceremonies start around 11:50 a.m. During the flower ceremony, announcers Angela Rose and Vince Bierworth will read the names of former members from the survivor teams, Survivors Abreast (Peterborough), Survivors Thrivers (Cobourg) and Barrie’s Ribbons of Hope, who have lost their battle against breast cancer—a powerful reminder of what the festival is all about. Here's some pictures from last year's event...

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The Habitat for Humanity ReStore Location Is Moving

The Peterborough & Kawartha Region Habitat for Humanity ReStore location (currently at 780 Erskine Avenue) will be moving to 550 Braidwood Avenue next to GPL Storage.

ReStore accepts and sells donations of the following: new, gently used, overstocked, seconds, scratch and dent, discontinued, salvaged or renovation materials, and unique home decor items. One hundred percent of all administration costs of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region are paid for by the funds raised at the ReStore store. Your support allows every dollar donated to the organization to go directly into building more, safe, decent homes.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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3 Peterborough Siblings Shave Their Heads To Raise Awareness For Pediatric Cancer Research

So many kids around Peterborough have been having their heads shaved and pony tails cut for a great cause: Pedal For Hope. This takes place each April and May, when members of the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police shed their uniforms during their holidays, hop on a bike and pedal more than 1,000 kilometres as "Cops for Cancer" to visit schools around Central Ontario to raise money for pediatric cancer research and awareness about kids living with cancer. Since the first tour in 2005, the Pedal for Hope team has raised more than $2.4 million for pediatric cancer research.

This year's 10th anniversary tour wraps up Saturday (May 17th) with an event at Adam Scott, but on Friday (May 16th) Pedal For Hope bikers arrived at James Strath Public School in Peterborough, and more children had their heads shaved—including Eileen and Joel Kimmett's three kids, Quinn, 10; Riker Kimmett, 8; and Kedron, 6. "I still can't say enough how amazing the Pedal For Hope Team is," Eileen tells us. Her kids are amazing, too. All the hair cut goes to make wigs for kids struggling with cancer. See pics below of Quinn, Riker and Kedron from today...

Kedron, Quinn and Riker

Emotional @PedalForHopeCa at James Strath this morning, my 3 shaving heads for @CopsForCancer @Ptbo_Canada . pic.twitter.com/VMXSsu6Hyj

— Eileen Kimmett (@EileenKimmett) May 16, 2014

Kedron, Quinn and Riker

Kedron

Kedron

Kedron

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PTBOCanada Pics & Coverage: Walk So Kids Can Talk For Kids Help Phone

On Sunday, May 4th, more than 50 people came to Nicholls Oval to participate in the 2014 Walk So Kids Can Talk in support of Kids Help Phone. This was the fourth year Peterborough hosted a walk site, and walkers raised about $15,000. The event saw representation from several organizations and individuals in the community, such as BMO, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation and Team 55 Tackles Suicide Awareness. Counsellors at Kids Help Phone are there for youth 24/7/365, when they feel like there is no one else they can turn to. Check out pictures below from this special walk.  —photos & coverage by Beth McClelland

David Pogue of Team 55 and his grandson cut the blue ribbon to mark the official start of the walk and honour his son Mitchell

Adults, kids and pets alike take off for their first kilometer of the walk

Amazing walk for a great cause

 Team 55 gathers by the finish line at the end of the walk

Sharon from Checkers Entertainment Services facepaints two high school walk volunteers

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The Amazing Duke's Trail Tour Fundraiser For Peterborough Humane Society Launches

Duke & Sofie

The Summer Fundraiser campaign for Peterborough Humane Society's "Duke's Trail Tour" kicked off today (April 22nd) at Montana's Cookhouse. Duke, an 8-year-old Belgian Shepherd, and his owner Sofie Andreou (pictured at left) were there and will serve as ambassadors for the 1st Annual event, which takes place June 22nd.

Duke, a Peterborough Humane Society rescue, has overcome the abuse he suffered as a puppy with the love of his Forever Home family, and the freedom he found exploring trails around the world.

"Duke is a very special dog," says Sofie. "We adopted him from Peterborough Humane Society in 2005, and he's been by my side ever since, travelling trails from Mexico to Nova Scotia. We want to share our love of exploration and help give other dogs a chance at a Forever Home."

Duke's Trail Tour press conference picture

With a vast array of trail-systems available to Peterborough and the Kawarthas, Duke (and Sofie) thought it was high time to spread the love and get others trekking for a great cause—as PHS looks after 1,300 needy animals on an annual basis and is in desperate need of funds.

Duke's Trail Tour takes place Sunday, June 22nd from 1:30 pm to 4 pm. Walkers can register as teams or individuals at DukesTrailTour.com. It is a fun 5k/10k walk through the Rotary Trail system.

Interested in adopting a pet from the humane society? Learn more here.

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Kindness Of Stranger Allows Autistic Boy To Ride A Bike Again

Kate and Jason Wells have given PTBOCanada readers a window of what it's like to have an autistic son in a previous post from last year. There are difficult moments on a daily basis, but there are also joyous moments. Like this for example involving Aidan getting a 3-wheel bike. As Kate writes in a Facebook post, "The kindness of people is astounding. This bike (see pictures below) was given to Aidan after they no longer could use it. He used to love riding his bike, but required training wheels which he outgrew a few years ago. He hasn't been on a bike since—something he used to love to do. Because of her generosity, he is able to ride again. Tears of happiness as we watched him go!!!"  Watch him go below...

Aidan with his father Jason

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City In Need: Check Out This Kawartha Food Share Fact Sheet

Kawartha Food Share distributes food to 37 local agencies that run food banks, food cupboards and meal programs. Here's some stats from 2013 they provided to us—many alarming—about the number of people in need in the community:

• 48 schools access Kawartha Food Share to help with their breakfast clubs and meal programs. In the month of March 2013, more than 158,000 meals were served in Peterborough area schools. 17,000 children are fed daily.
• In 2013, Kawartha Food Share distributed over $10 million dollars worth of food.
• Currently, 7,728 people are using food banks every month in the City and County of Peterborough—a number which increases to 11,244 when reflecting multiple visits.
• Food bank use has increased by 35% over the past 5 years.
• 41% of local food bank users are under the age of 18.
• In the month of March alone, 300 people visited a food bank for the very first time.
• 24% of food bank users are a mix of post-secondary students, pensioners and the working poor, many of which are only able to find part-time work in this community.
• Kawartha Food Share’s volunteers work the equivalent number of hours as 10 full-time paid staff positions.

[Kawartha Food Share]

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DBIA Featured Post: Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF)

If you live in or around Peterborough and have a pulse, then surely you have dealt with some part of our cities great healthcare team at some time or another. Behind every great team is a great coach and management, which is exactly what the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) can be considered. Located at 150 King St, the foundation formerly known as the St. Joseph’s Care Foundation has been an integral part of our community for almost 30 years now.

In a nutshell, the foundation is a major fundraiser for healthcare equipment, education, research and innovative programs that help the community’s health care team give its patients the best treatment possible.

The foundation consists of a team of tireless workers, including Executive director Hannah Routly, Fundraising and Communications Coordinator Carol Lawless, Board Chair Laura Boden, and physician lead ambassador Dr. Don Harterre to name just a few. On top of these positions are a long list of tremendous volunteers who aid in improving the community based health care system that the GPHSF aims to put forth.

Along with its fundraising efforts, the GPHSF also works behind the scenes in our community in creating and fostering a team like atmosphere with every branch of healthcare. From nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and mental health clinicians, to medical secretaries, dieticians, and family physicians, they help combine the expertise of a team working together to provide you with the right care, when you need it, same day or at a time convenient to you.

This overall team effort has been helping to make things better in our community for years now and the GPHSF is actually the first foundation in Canada to support such a family health care team.

One of the GPHSF's major events held yearly is the Peterborough Speaker Series. This year's event, titled Fire Starters, is taking place on April 16th at Market Hall. Previously the GPHSF has also been a part of the Festival of Trees and the Freedom 55 Financial charity golf tournament.

A few of the initiatives and items that the GPHSF has been a major part in assisting with are the incredible Partners in Pregnancy clinic, which works with many women in our community going through various phases of pregnancy. They have also recently raised money to purchase ophthalmology equipment, 17 automated external defibrillators, 40 pulse oximeters, and 20 patient transport chairs that are all located across the city helping our healthcare team put forth the greatest care possible.

For more information on GPHSF, and to find out about volunteer opportunities, go to:
Website: Gphsf.ca
Twitter: @Gphsf
Facebook: Gphsf
Phone: 705.740.8074

For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.

—By Aaron Elliott

PTBOCanada Pics: Clara Hughes Comes To Peterborough For #ClarasBigRide

The amazing and inspiring Clara Hughes—who Christie Blatchford calls "this generation’s Terry Fox"—arrived in Peterborough Saturday (March 22nd) as part of her 12,000 kilometre Clara's Big Ride journey to raise awareness about mental health and erase the stigma associated with mental illness. Clara, who was won multiple Olympic medals in cycles and speed skating, has herself battled depression for years. Her 110 day bicycle ride will take her to 95 communities across Canada. She spoke highly of Peterborough and its attention given to mental health initiatives. She wants this ride across the country to be epic and called it "Canada's Big Ride". Props to the local Canadian Mental Health Association chapter for bringing Clara to Peterborough. Here's pictures from her day in town...

[picture via Liz Shaughnessy]

Clara with her support riders, including her husband, Peter Guzman. [picture via Liz Shaughnessy]

[picture via Liz Shaughnessy]

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The 4th Annual Peterborough Speakers Series Is Themed "Fire Starters"

The 2014 Peterborough Speakers Series is themed "Fire Starters" and features dynamic speakers such as playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, photographer Michael Hurcomb, lawyer Julie Kirkpatrick and more. The event is MC-ed by Stuart Harrison and takes place April 16th at Market Hall. For more info on the event, go to gphsf.ca. More deets in poster below.

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