50/50 Cash Raffle to Support Four Peterborough-area Community Groups

Profits from the Lakefield & District Lions Club’s “Collaboration 50/50 Cash Raffle” will be divided evenly between Kawartha Food Share, PRHC Foundation, Community Care Peterborough and the Lions Club.

LAKEFIELD & DISTRICT LIONS CLUB "COLLABORATION 50/50 CASH RAFFLE” POSTER

“Fundraising is always challenging, but the people of Peterborough have been very generous in helping us provide our services throughout the region,” Kawartha Food Share General Manager Ashlee Aitken said.

Lesley Heighway, President & CEO of the PRHC Foundation extended gratitude to the Lakefield & District Lions Club for organizing the fundraiser.

“Yours is a powerful example of how we all can make a real difference, close to home,” she said. “Community-led fundraisers are essential to local charities.”

Heighway states the funds will empower world-class care at PRHC by fueling innovation and bringing new services to the region.

“They’ll also support solutions to critical hospital challenges, including helping PRHC attract the best and brightest healthcare experts,” she added.

“Our mission is to support the health and wellbeing of individuals, caregivers and communities,” Danielle Belair, CEO of Community Care Peterborough said. “Our programs and services allow people across the City and County of Peterborough to maintain their independence and dignity.”

Belair goes onto say Community Care Peterborough’s programs impacted more than 6,000 seniors and adults with disabilities in 2023.

“The Lakefield & District Lions Club has been around since 1946 and we are giving back to our community through the generosity of supporters,” added club president Don Parsons.

The winning ticket will be selected on Nov. 15.

Tickets are on sale at lakefieldlions5050.ca.

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120 Golfers Tee-Off at the Fourth-Annual 'Be a Saint" St. Joseph's At Fleming Golf Fundraiser Tournament

The fourth-annual “Be a Saint” St. Joseph's at Fleming fundraiser golf tournament saw a huge increase in golfers with 120 at the Quarry Golf Club on Thursday afternoon.

Sarah Cox, St. Joseph’s at Fleming administrative coordinator puts all her trust in Celebrity golf entertainer and instructor Todd Keirstead’s trick shot. Keirstead was a guest entertainer at the first hole at the Quarry Golf Club. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This year’s event saw a massive uptick in attendance since the third edition yielded 80 participants.

“It's great to see how our fundraiser is growing,” said Sarah Cox, St. Joseph’s administrative coordinator. “It's a great way to bring awareness to the community, we have lots of new golfers out and it's also great to see that we have so many people coming back year after year to support St. Joseph's at Fleming.”

All proceeds go towards upgrading St. Joseph’s infrastructure which needs work since the long-term care home is over 20 years old. It also funds replacing aging equipment and vital programs and services.

Last year’s event raised around $26,000 which is toward the organization's goal of $3.5 million over the next few years.

@ptbo_canada We were here before once… Time for round 2 between editor David Bui and trickshot golfer Todd Keirstead. The fourth-annula “Be a Saint” golf tournament benefitted St. Joseph’s at Fleming care home! #ptbo #ptbocanada #journalism #journalist #peterborough #news #fyp #dailynewsupdate #dailynews #sports #sport #golf ♬ Ready - Official Sound Studio

“We're a little over two-and-a-half million now,” explained Cox. “We're still working towards that goal, still raising money and even outside of the campaign, once we reach that 3.5 million, we're still going to keep fundraising because there's always going to be needs in the home.

After the tournament, a silent auction was held to raise additional funds for the not-for-profit long-term care home.

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Third-Annual 'Be a Saint" St. Joseph's At Fleming Golf Fundraiser Tournament In Full Swing

Roughly 80 golfers hit the links at the third-annual "Be a Saint" St. Joseph's at Fleming fundraiser at the Quarry Golf Club on Thursday afternoon.

Celebrity golf entertainer and instructor Todd Keirstead getting the trust of Jennifer Armstrong as he rockets a tee shot off her as one of his many trick shots. Keirstead was a guest entertainer at the 15th hole at the Quarry Golf Club. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

All proceeds go towards St. Joseph’s to upgrade its infrastructure since the long-term care home is roughly 20 years old and needs work according to administrative coordinator Sarah Cox.

“Being a building that runs every day of the year, 24/7, there are some capital upgrades we need,” she explained. “Flooring, our HVAC systems, new technology, medical equipment, things like that are what we are trying to raise money for the 200 residents that live at St. Joseph's.”

@ptbo_canada ♬ Golf

Cox said last year’s event raised roughly $26,000 and aims to meet if not exceed that goal for the tournament’s third inception. The ultimate goal over the next few years is to raise $3.5 million.

“We're about $1.6 million into that so there's still a few years to go,” said Cox. “We do different fundraisers all year around, Christmas mailings, stuff with the families at St. Joseph's to get them involved. Just different fundraisers to raise money towards that $3.5 million.”

A silent auction was held after the tournament as an additional source to raise funds for the not-for-profit long-term care home.

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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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Canada's Dinosaur Park Creates GoFundMe For New Habitat Building After Alleged Contractor Issues

Non-profit reptile zoo Canada’s Dinosaur Park has set up a GoFundMe for their new habitat building on Wednesday after its contractor Total Construction Management Services Inc. (TCM) allegedly abandoned the construction.

File photo.

The fundraiser is set for $200,000 to complete the new building, cover legal costs to file a lawsuit against TCM and pay the sub-contractors and workers according to the GoFundMe page.

Sharper Construction LTD, Steel Con Contracting, Peterborough Crane Rentals and Zenner Concrete Pumping were the supposed unpaid subcontractors.

TCM was hired in September last year to complete the building for the next month and was given $300,000 as stated by the Dinosaur Park staff.

The park claims TCM abandoned construction in December and never returned to the job site since. The contracting company embezzled the money without paying workers and disappeared according to park director Byr Loyst.

“It’s sad that someone would do that to the animals and to a charity, he said. “I can’t believe someone is that awful a person.”

TCM owner James Gillingham has been contacted several times and by PTBOCanada by the park but did not respond. The director claims that TCM’s lawyer said the park would be reimbursed by Gillingham but was delayed by several months.

According to Loyst, he received a phone call from the TCM’s lawyer on Wednesday and the latter allegedly was lied to by Gillingham and did not have his retainer paid. The call left the park to create the GoFundMe.

If the fundraiser’s goal has been achieved, the park’s intention to take legal action would be in question. The decision would be decided by their board of directors said Loyst. He claims that the law firm he spoke with requires roughly $50,000 to pursue legal action.

Ultimately, the park’s director just wants the building finished for the reptiles and the workers to be properly compensated for their work. The incomplete building prevents admission income to maintain the park to be open to the public.

“I’m more concerned about the animals than anything else,” said Loyst. “The tortoises are stuck inside, not able to go in and out as they please and we have not been able to open.”

Donations for the GoFundMe or CanadaHelps for Canada’s Dinosaur Park can be made online.

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16th Annual Jukebox Mania Brings In Close To $21,000 For CCRC Programs

The 16th annual Jukebox Mania, hosted by Community Counselling and Resource Centre (CCRC), brought in approximately $21,000 in proceeds to support their programs and services.

Hosted on April 29, virtually, by Megan Murphy, Jukebox mania is a friendly competition where teams listen to clips of songs that follow a theme and guess the artist or title of the song.

Cambium & Tennille from Cambium Inc was the victor in their first ever foray into Jukebox Mania, followed closely by Tramps Like Us (community team) in second, and rounding out the top three was the Aural Academics (TUFA/CUPE) and the Purple People Eaters of Grant Thornton in a tie for Third.

CCRC is a local charity that offers services for those struggling to keep or find housing, homelessness prevention, professional counselling, and community service orders. Their services are free or low cost and no one is turned away, regardless of how challenging their situation is.

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Peterborough Man Joins Team Cycling From Toronto To Halifax Raising Money To Support Care Programs For Cancer Patients

Sean Cullen, a Peterborough local, will be joining a group of cyclists as they travel from Toronto to Halifax to raise money for Wellspring, an organization that provides supportive care programs to help Canadians who are living with cancer.

Photo courtesy of Sean Cullen.

Wellspring is available at no charge, with no referrals necessary and accepts clients with any type of cancer at any stage in their journey.

They receive no government funding and rely completely on donations.

Cullen, who’s mother in law used Wellsprings services while she battled cancer, says that on top of one-on-one peer support, financial advice and rehabilitation support Wellsprings acts as a community.

“Being diagnosed with cancer can feel isolating so it’s important to have a community to talk with,” he said. “So being able to drop in to any of these locations and have these support groups are incredible.”

There are three Wellsprings locations in the Greater Toronto area, one in Niagara, London, and Brampton as well as a few locations in Alberta.

Photo courtesy of Sean Cullen.

On August 20, Cullen will join a team of cyclists for 3000 km, week long ride from Toronto to Halifax

The trip will act like a relay, with groups of five or six taking turns making the trek, then being driven to their next starting point twelve hours later.

“We ride day and night, which will be a really cool experience,” he said.

Cullen who is an avid cyclist says he’s excited for the challenge, the adventure it will be and of course to opportunity to raise money for a charity he cares about.

Cullen’s personal fundraising goal is $10,000 and is confident that he will reach his mark before he takes off on his journey in August.

Donations can be made online here. He, along with friends and family, will also be hosting various fundraising events in the coming months. Updates can be found on his Instagram and Facebook page.

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Operation Catnip Peterborough Is Hosting An Online Raffle To Fund 2022 Operations

Operation Catnip Peterborough is hosting an online raffle on their Facebook page to raise money for future vet bills and to fund their spay/neuter program.

Operation Catnip is an organization of volunteers that use the ‘trap, neuter, release’ method. They catch stray or feral cats, spay or neuter them and then either find the cat a home or release it back into the wild.

To date the organization has helped over 1700 cats in 380+ colonies.

Only 200 tickets will be sold, and the raffle will occur when all are gone. Tickets are $10 per ticket, or 3 tickets for $25.

They can be purchased by sending an E-transfer to opcatptbo@gmail.com.

Prizes include giftcards to local shops like Juniper, The Food Forest Café, and ‘76 Sips Cafe. There are also items like Petes tickets, christmas gift baskets and candles.

Operation Catnip is also selling mugs with their logo, designed by volunteer and graphic designer Kim Russell, for $20.

Mugs, and more information about the raffle, are available on Operation Catnip’s Facebook page.

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Over $6 Million Raised For More Housing At The Mount Community Centre

After a concerted effort from the community, The Mount Community Centre has raised $6,272,755 towards building more affordable housing units announced on Sunday.

Photo Courtesy of The Mount Community Centre.

The money was raised through their Building Opportunity Campaign that was seeking a goal of $4 million for the 10-acre property. All of the funding was done through the volunteers.

Beavermead Construction was the company tasked to do the building however over 200 volunteers have done the painting, furnishing and landscaping.

Since August, 63 housing units have already been developed since 2013.

The units already contain several amenities such as a food centre, office space, public venue space and the Fulcrum Café.

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Local Man Takes Cancer Diagnosis in Stride and Starts 'Dave's Walk Against Cancer' to Raise Funds for PRHC

Local man Dave Graham is taking his cancer diagnosis in stride and fundraising for the Cancer Clinic at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC).

Dave meets one of his neighbors on his walks. Photo courtesy of Dave Graham.

Graham was diagnosed with colon cancer in March, had surgery and is now receiving chemotherapy twice a month.

“It took me totally by surprise,” he said. “I had no symptoms, no nothing. I thought ‘this is crazy’. But the more I thought of it I figured there has to be some sort of good come out of it.”

He visited PRHC and got to work setting up his fundraiser, in partnership with the PRHC Foundation.

Starting in August, Graham committed to walking 7,000 steps each day until Dec. 17 in hopes to raise $5,000.

Walking rain or shine, by the end of this fundraiser he will have walked 775,000 steps.

Not even one month into his fundraiser, after his ninth cancer treatment, Graham has raised over $6,700. After seeing the success his fundraiser is having he has changed his goal to $10,000.

“It’s just phenomenal. I’m so pleased with what Christ has done to encourage donations. The people donating - I know most of them, they’re wonderful people.”

Graham says these walks have allowed him to meet neighbors he never has before, and he now appreciates even more the landscape around his home with fall colours coming through.

“I start my walk at about 7:30, walk about two miles and it takes about an hour. I come home and my wife has the coffee ready, it’s exciting.”

In addition to his personal fundraiser, Graham’s son and daughter have started their own fundraisers for the Cancer Centre at PRHC.

“It’s almost like we’re starting a family business,” he says.

Dave says the cows he walks by daily have become quite friendly. Photo courtesy of Dave Graham.

“Cancer blew me away, but through His grace I’ve been able to do what I am doing. My faith has carried me through but my determination has also helped considerably.”

Graham says his walks have helped him to feel good throughout his diagnosis, his last round of treatment is Dec. 1.

All money raised will help fund the equipment and technology PRHC’s Cancer Care team use to provide compassionate cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment.

Online donations will go directly to the PRHC Foundation and a receipt will be issued automatically. Donations can also be made by cash or cheque (made out to the PRHC Foundation) through Dave Graham who will pass them on to the Foundation.

Tax receipts will be issued by the Foundation in time for the 2021 tax deadline.

To donate click here.

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