YWCA 'Walk a Mile In Their Shoes' Fundraiser Returns to Peterborough On May 24

YWCA Peterborough Haliburton’s Walk A Mile In Their Shoes returns on May 24 to raise funds for YWCA programs and services helping women and children recover from gender-based violence.

Photo courtesy of YWCA Peterborough.

The YWCA is asking everyone to dig out your red shoes, grab your friends, family or colleagues and join them at Confederation Park for a walk around downtown Peterborough. Check-in for participants will open at 11 a.m. and the walk will begin at noon.

Participants can sign up as solo walkers or with a team. Local groups and businesses are encouraged to join and challenge others to a fundraising contest.

Registration for the event is $40 for a limited-time Early Bird rate. The fee includes lunch at the event, a custom water bottle and a t-shirt.

Proceeds support the YWCA's Journey of Care, which encompasses each of the signature programs and services offered to the women, children and gender-diverse people it serves.

Registrants can go online to create their personal fundraising page or sponsor someone with a donation.

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Kaawaate East City Public School Launches Fundraiser of $200,000 For Accessible Playground

Kaawaate East City Public School (KECPS) launched a campaign seeking the public’s help to raise $200,000 for an accessible playground for roughly 800 students from the East City of Peterborough and surrounding areas.

pHOTO courtesy of Kaawaate East City Public School.

The school opened in September 2021 but without a playground since the Ministry of Education does not fund that equipment according to KECPS.

The school has to raise funds for the physical play structure(s), installation costs, ground surfacing and ongoing maintenance.

A common concern for the parents is the inclusion of an accessible playground that caters to all students including those with special mobility and sensory needs as stated in a press release.

The KECPS yard is adjacent to a forest and offers a view from the hill overlooking the Trent-Severn Waterway.

“I was surprised and disappointed to learn when the Ministry of Education builds and opens a new elementary school, its funding doesn’t include the school playground,” said Tara Joyce, KECPS Playground Committee parent member. “A playground for the students seems critical to the healthy functioning of any elementary school.”

“With our student body and new building already overcrowded in its third year of existence, creating more interactive spaces outdoors for our students is critically needed and will have a long-term positive impact on their learning and growth,” said Robin Koshurba, KECPS Playground Committee member.

The Committee is asking local businesses and organizations, families and any interested donors to help meet their fundraising goal.

The school is already facing overcrowding issues in its third year of operation and a playground is essential for shaping the future of everyone involved according to KECPS.

Donations can be made online via School Cash Online or by cash or cheque.

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52nd Easter Seals Telethon Kicks Off With Live Event For March 24; Higher Ambitions With $100,000 Goal Set

The 52nd Easter Seals Telethon fundraiser has kicked off for March with their live event broadcasting on March 24 on YourTV and Global Peterborough from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(From left to right) The Growdens Tara, Teddy, Dan and Ambassador Sawyer sharing a moment as the 52nd Easter Seals Telethon Kicks Off. Sawyer is returning as a regional ambassador after being announced as a new one last year. She was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder which affects the 15th chromosome. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The announcement was made at Lansdowne Place with Deputy Mayor Joy Lachica proclaiming March to be Easter Seals Month in Peterborough.

Telethon host Stu Harrison is returning as well as Graham Hart, celebrating his 50th year volunteering. Actress Linda Kash and Energy Morning Show’s Brian Young are hosting the Wheelchair Challenge where small teams come on the Telethon to contact everyone they know for donations.

”They're calling and reaching out to their contacts list of corporate supporters, family members, employers, that kind of thing and basically drumming more donations for us,” Coralie Jacobs of Easter Seals Ontario “It's sort of a neat and little competitive little edge to the show.”

Easter Seals is its 102nd year with the 52nd and is a fundraiser that provides support for children and youth with physical disabilities. The televised event celebrates success stories, showcases Easter Seals kids and their families, recognizes donors and sponsors.

Jacobs credits everyone involved in the event and/or its promotion on why the event has been successful for over a century.

“A lot of that has to do with who's involved with it and they're putting the word out for us,” she explained. “It's really valuable for people to understand and help them understand what it is that we're doing.”

For the 52nd edition of the Telethon, a goal of $100,000 was set, an increase of $80,000 in years prior.

“We've never had that as our goal, it's always been 80,” said Jacobs. “We're very good at exceeding 80 and I'm comfortable with that but this year I thought, 'you know what, let's go for it,' 100 grand, I know this community can do it.”

Also returning to the Telethon is regional ambassador and seven-year-old Sawyer Grace Growden who has Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder which affects the 15th chromosome. She uses a wheelchair and a walker to help with her mobility.

“She loves the attention, loves being on camera,” said Dan Growden, Sawyer’s father. “You can tell by the laughing and giggling that she loves to be here.”

Last year, the family participated in the Easter Seals Family Camp and have already applied to participate for 2024. The camp gives families an opportunity to meet other families, have an accessible family vacation with overnight camping. The camp has a wide range of programs that are geared to various age groups for families to partake in.

“It was an incredible experience to be there as a family, meet other families,” said Dan. “Teddy got to meet siblings of other kids with physical disabilities so it just a great time all around.”

Supporters can donate during the Telethon or at anytime online.

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Peterborough Petes Next Gen Game Raises Over $21,000 For Five Counties Children's Centre

The Peterborough Petes’s annual Next Gen Game raised $21,341 for Five Counties Children’s Centre (FCCC) that was held on Feb. 19, announced on Tuesday.

Five Counties Children’s Centre provides speech, physio and occupational therapies, as well as other treatment services for kids and youth from birth to age 19 years. Last year, Five Counties served more than 6,200 children and youth in the Peterborough, Northumberland, Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton region – the highest number of clients in its nearly 50-year history. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The money is used to support kids’ treatment services at FCCC.

In 12 years of running the Next Gen Game, this was the highest total fundraiser since the partnership.

 “We are so grateful to the Petes, their fans and our other supporters for again showing their support for Five Counties kids,” said Scott Pepin, FCCC CEO. “The funds will go directly to our Building Abilities For Life (BAL) campaign that supports high-demand treatment services at Five Counties. Through these funds, we can help to reduce wait times and ensure more children and families get access to the care they need when they need it.”

There were eight FCCC kids who enjoyed a behind-the-scenes experience at the game, ‘signing’ a one one-day contract with the Petes of working roles within their organization. They included general manager, coach, scout, PA announcer and more.

“The smiles on our kids’ faces lit up the Memorial Centre,” said Pepin. “The Petes were first-rate in creating the Next Gen opportunity, and we heard many good comments and compliments from the kids and their families about their experiences behind the scenes.”

“Every year this event continues to grow. It’s a great opportunity for families to come out and enjoy their Family Day while supporting other kids in our community,” noted Eric Ebenbauer, Petes director of sales. “We look forward to continuing this tradition and engaging with Five Counties clients for future Next Gen programs, which was presented by Tim Hortons this year.”

The Petes hit the ice at home on Thursday to host the Erie Otters for Pride Night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Game to Benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough in 'Big Game For Kids' On March 7

The Peterborough Pets game against the Ottawa 67’s on March 7 will be extra special as a fundraising night for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough (Peterborbough Bigs) in the “Big Game for Kids,” announced on Thursday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Bigs.

The game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre has the puck drop for 7:05 p.m. The event features a classic photo booth, chuck-a-puck prizes and local hockey action while making meaningful differences for Peterborough youth.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Peterborough Petes and Monaghan Lumber for the 'Big Game for Kids,' an event that combines the excitement of hockey with the spirit of community giving,” said Brent Shepherd, Peterborough Bigs executive director. “Together, we can make a positive impact on the lives of children and youth in our community by providing them with the support and guidance they need to succeed.”

All funds raised benefit Peterborough Bigs’s mentoring programs, allowing the organization to continue matching young people with caring adult mentors, fostering meaningful relationships and positive outcomes according to a press release.

Tickets are available at the Peterborough Bigs website or by contacting Hilary Morgan at (705) 743-6100.

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Nominations Open For Community Care Peterborough's 'Grandparent of the Year' to Children

City and County of Peterborough children in grades 1-6 can honour their elders through Community Care Peterborough’s 36th ‘Grandparent of the Year’ contest.

Photo courtesy of Community Care Peterborough.

Children are asked to submit a hand-drawn picture and a piece of writing that addresses what is important about their relationship with their grandparent, elder or special older person and why they think their nominee should win the award.

“Teachers in the City and County of Peterborough have a wonderful opportunity to use this contest as an inspiring writing assignment for their students,” said Danielle Belair, Community Care executive director. “We also recognize that not all teachers may know about this opportunity so we have applications available on our website. If your child is in grades one to six and not participating in their class, they are encouraged to take part.”

Grade 1 students are new to this year’s edition of the annual contest.

“Each year we are fascinated by the variety of heartwarming stories we receive,” said Belair. “Many of the honorees are indeed grandparents or great grandparents of the students however there have been a number of entries that highlight a special senior friend, elder or great Aunt or Uncle as well.”

Applications are available and are being accepted at the Peterborough Public Library, with a writing workshop planned for any students including those whose school are not participating.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Library in early June at the ‘Smiles All Around’ event. The winners and honourable mentions will have an opportunity to introduce and present the award to their Grandparent, Elder, or special older person, with photos taken by a local photographer.

A committee will select one winner and one honourable mention from each group of grades; primary and junior in both English and French categories. Primary is Grades 1, 2 and 3 and junior is Grades 4, 5 and 6.

Community Care has suggested several questions for children to think about when describing their nominee:

• What is important about their relationship with their Grandparent, Elder or special older person?

• What kinds of activities are done together?

• What kind of knowledge have they shared with the child?

• Describe a happy occasion the child and their nominee shared.

• How does their nominee make them feel when they are together?

• Why they are proud of their nominee?

• Why the child thinks their nominee should win the award?

All entries must be received by May 7. Entries may be submitted by mail to:

Community Care
185 Hunter St. E.
Peterborough, Ont.
K9H 0H1

They can also be submitted by email to Pamela Beauchamp at pbeauchamp@commcareptbo.org or online in English or French.

Winners will be announced in early June at an in-person event at the Library.

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Peterborough Child and Family Services Gets a Technological Update After a $23,800 Provincial Grant

The Peterborough Child and Family Centres (PCFC) get ‘plugged in’ with technological infrastructure upgrades after an Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund of $23,800 announced on Friday morning.

Peterborough Child and Family Services serves roughly 3,000 people and 1,600 families each year. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This funding allowed the Centre to purchase laptops for staff, an upgraded phone system and an Owl Labs Meeting Camera. The camera allows staff conferences and offers hybrid workshops for in-person and virtual meetings for serviced families.

The Centre says these items are essential for their ongoing operation of programs and services. It helps to better connect with the families it serves, volunteers and staff and adapt to the community's evolving needs without disrupting services.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their support in bringing our technology infrastructure to where it needs to be to ensure a thriving future for the organization,” said Nicola Lyle, PCFC CEO. “This grant will significantly enhance our ability to connect with families, provide versatility in our service provision, and support our staff and organization for years to come.”

“I cannot say enough about the work that the Peterborough Child and Family Centre does for our area,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “To now have the ability to offer these services remotely means that more families have access to programs that benefit the development and growth of our future generation.”

The money was given incrementally since last April. During that time, the Centre had gradually upgraded its technology infrastructure.

For over 40 years, PCFC has helped families with young children and/or is expecting to provide tools, resources and knowledge to support the growth and development of children aged zero to six.

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Peterborough Bigs In Need of Big Brothers/Sisters; At Least 60 Children In Program Needing Mentors

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Peterborough (Peterborough Bigs) are dire need of mentors to join their organization as at least 60 to 70 kids involved in the program are without a mentor.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The number of children entering the Bigs program has doubled over the past year according to Brent Shepard, Peterborough Bigs executive director.

“It's an ongoing need,” he explained. “We found that there has been an increase in the number of children requesting to come into our programs and waiting for a mentor.”

Children in the program are entered into a waiting pool and get matched based on what best fits both the mentor and the child.

As a result of the matchmaking system, children can wait from roughly six months to a year before being paired up with a Big.

“Because we want the child's interest to be matched with the volunteer's interest, it can sometimes take longer depending on what volunteers come in,” said Shepard.

Shepard also encouraged potential suitors to join Peterborough Bigs, citing several testimonials from mentors who are getting more than what they bargained for but in a positive way.

“We hear over and over again that someone that wants to mentor with us will come to the program and want to give back to the community,” he explained. “What they always underestimate how powerful of an experience it is for them once they start mentoring. They realize how much impact they make for how little investment they need to make and they'll talk to their friends about how it's a highlight of their month.”

The program allows flexibility for mentors, as they spend, on average, two to four hours a month seeing their ‘little’; however, the time spent can be increased at the request of the ‘big.’

Children in the waiting pool remain active with Peterborough Bigs, with several activities offered.

Activities include sports tickets, event tickets, holiday parties, a children’s camp and more.

Mentors can volunteer online at Peterborough Bigs’s website.

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Renowned Professional Wrestler Cody Deaner To Guest Speak At Local Elementary Schools Through Sponsorship Tour

Through a sponsorship by Kiwanis Club of Peterborough, Chris Gray better known as professional wrestling/speaker Cody Deaner is doing a fourth tour of several Peterborough schools announced on Tuesday.

The Kiwanis Club of Peterborough is celebrating 103 years of service to the Peterborough community. It is part of a global membership of over 550,000 in 80 countries. Photo courtesy of Kiwanis Club of Peterborough.

The Total Nonstop Wrestling star will speak at Edmison Heights Public School on Feb. 12 and St. John’s Catholic Elementary School and Adam Scott Intermediate School on Feb. 13.

Gray also launched a top rated podcast in 2023: Wrestling is Life is Wrestling.

“We’re very excited to bring Chris back to Peterborough for another tour”, said Jeff Westlake, Kiwanis past-president. “His previous tours in 2019, 2020 and 2023 were tremendously popular with both students and staff.”

“I’m delighted to be returning to Peterborough next month,” said Gray. “The partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Peterborough has been outstanding these last few years and I’m eager to inspire area kids with my stories and message of ‘Dare to Dream Big’”.

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Peterborough Police Seeking Two Missing Teen Girls

UPDATE: The girls have been located.

The Peterborough Police Service is asking for the public’s assistance in locating two 14-year-old girls, Ireland MacLean and Chloe Drummond, reported missing Thursday afternoon.

They were first reported missing around 4:30 p.m. Since then, officers have been checking known locations, with information leading police to believe they went to Toronto last night. 

The Peterborough Police Service has since been working with the Toronto Police Service to locate the girls. Family and police are concerned for their safety.

The girls were last seen on a security camera in Peterborough at 11:35 a.m. in the Erskine Avenue and Barnes Crescent area.

The girls are described as:

Ireland MacLean

• 5’4

• Approx 130lbs

• Shoulder length dark hair

• Wearing black puffy coat, black/gray camouflage track pants, beige Sorrel boots, light gray shirt with pink skulls

Chloe Drummond

• 5’6

• Thin build

• Shoulder length black hair

• No description of clothing available

Anyone with information is asked to call Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

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