Man Runs Through Peterborough to Support Local Charity

After running 50 miles in the cold, Peterborough’s Cory Priaulx raised over $2,500 for the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough charity for their COVID-19 relief fund this past weekend.

The money will be given to Peterborough businesses that have struggled through the pandemic. Priaulx’s campaign goal is $5,000 and created a GoFundMe page on February 1.

“I wanted to make sure the funds raised stayed in Peterborough and were going to those affected by this pandemic,” said Priaulx. “I chose $5,000 cause I knew it would be difficult. I figured if I was going to try and raise money (to) go big or go home.”

Cody Priaulx is a huge fan of actor and former professional wrestlier Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Photo courtesy of Cody Priaulx

The run called the “4x4x48 Challenge” was invented as an endurance challenge by former Navy SEAL, David Goggins. Runners travel four miles every four hours for 48 hours totalling 12 four-mile runs in two days. Priaulx began on Friday at 8:00 a.m. and finished Sunday at 4:00 a.m.

“The run was a mental struggle more than a physical one. Getting up and going every four hours became harder and harder,” said Priaulx. “My legs hurt and I had blisters all over my feet but I had so much support from friends, family and the community through social media. It really kept me going.”

He ran through several parts of Peterborough that had struggling local businesses such as Parkhill Road, George Street and Lansdowne Street.

Priaulx wanted to inspire others to have hope, promote mental health awareness and making healthy choices.

Cody Priaulx recorded 104,490 steps during his 4x4x48 challenge. Photo courtesy of Cody Priaulx

“I at one time about seven years ago weighed 300 pounds. I was very unhappy with myself and how I looked,” said Priaulx. “I was struggling with mental health so I decided to change everything. Started weight lifting and started to become stronger. I still have a long way to go but I'm trying to strive for optimal human performance.”

He lost over 100 pounds during that span, exercising regularly while eating a healthy diet. Priaulx had trained rigorously for the endurance run.

“I run to and from work every day cause we don't have a car,” he said. “It’s roughly 6.5 kilometres there and back so I incorporate that as part of my training as well. I eat super clean and healthy and I try to promote that to all my friends and family.”

This run will hopefully inspire others to make positive changes in their lives as well as their communities Priaulx said. There was a mutual inspiration between all members of his family.

Cody Priaulx says he had only slept a total of three hours while doing this challenge. Photo courtesy of Cody Priaulx

“I really want to thank my girlfriend Stephanie cause she was literally my rock and so were my two young daughters Olivia and Arya,” he said. “Olivia is only three and a half and she already wanted to come and run some of the legs with me. She told me she wanted to help people like her dad. That was very inspiring to me. I want to set the best example for everybody and show them that hard work pays off.”

As difficult as this challenge was for Priaulx, he is looking forward to his next one.

“I'm not afraid of hard work or challenges,” he said. “I actually look for them and try and push my limitations as I believe everyone should. “The only limitations are the ones you put on yourself.”

If you would like to donate to Priaulx’s GoFundMe page, you can find it here.

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100 Women Peterborough Just Raised $10,000 In Under An Hour For Five Counties Children’s Centre

On Tuesday (June 18th), the 100 Women Peterborough group raised more than $10,000 in under one hour for Five Counties Children’s Centre.

Adam White, Chair of the Five Counties Board, and their 15-year-old client, Rebecca Jordan, presented on behalf of the organization to the women at their meeting held at the Innovation Cluster. Five Counties Children’s Centre was selected to receive the donations by a majority vote that evening. (Also presenting to the group were Peterborough Butterfly Run and the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra.)

Photo courtesy 100 Women Peterborough

“A huge thank you to 100 Women Peterborough for their thoughtfulness and generous gift, your donation will make a difference in the lives of the children that will be able to receive service sooner,” says Adam White. “Because they can get this service sooner, it’s going to make a huge difference in their development, lives and in the way they can chase their dreams.”

Five Counties Children’s Centre provides therapy services at no cost to families that assist children who are delayed in their development to develop the skills they need in everyday life such a walking, talking, and activities of daily living. A non-profit organization, Five Counties Children’s Centre is primarily funded by The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the City of Peterborough.

Catia Skinner and Rosalea Terry from 100 Women Peterborough

“Thank you on behalf of the other children,” says 15-year-old Rebecca Jordan, who moved to Peterborough to access the life changing services of Five Counties Children’s Centre. “I have benefitted from Five Counties Children’s Centre so the opportunity for more children to have the opportunity is something that I’m excited about because I know how it has impacted my life and how it will change someone else's.”

The contribution from 100 Women Peterborough will fund the Centre to work with 12 children who would have otherwise not been able to receive support this year. One hundred percent of the funds raised by 100 Women Peterborough are donated to four non-profit organizations determined by the membership throughout the year.

Women that are interested in joining the group are encouraged to reach out via the website here.

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Peterborough Pop Ensemble Announces Their Charity Program For 2019/2020 Is Accepting Applications

The well known Peterborough Pop Ensemble has announced their charity program for 2019/2020 is open and receiving applications.

The #Popsgives initiative was established by the Peterborough Pop Ensemble in 2013 and the Ensemble is excited to celebrate their 19th anniversary with a continuation of this charity support.

Photo courtesy Susan Dunkley, Peterborough Pop Ensemble

During the charity submission period, registered charities can be nominated and each nomination will be reviewed by the Peterborough Pop Ensemble board.

The Peterborough Pop Ensemble is very passionate about their #Popsgives initiative, as they are dedicated to making a difference in the community in which they live in and perform.

“It’s our pleasure to share this opportunity of financial support with deserving charities,” says Barbara Monahan, founding director of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble. “We are delighted to feature two charities per year, allowing us to encourage our followers to learn more about the charities within our community.”

Photo courtesy Susan Dunkley, Peterborough Pop Ensemble

“We truly believe that we have an opportunity to lead by example and we know that together we can make a difference in multiple lives,” adds Susan Dunkley, Business Manager and creator of the charity program for the Peterborough Pop Ensemble.

Applications will be accepted until Friday, June 7th. To learn more about the Peterborough Pop Ensemble, their Community Charity Program or becoming a volunteer, email them here or visit their website here.

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100 Women Peterborough Raises Nearly $50,000 In First Year Of Existence

The 100 Women Peterborough group announced at their final meeting of 2018 that they raised more than $13,000 for New Canadians Centre in under an hour, bring their total raised for organizations to nearly $50,000 for their first year.

The contribution from 100 Women Peterborough will help to fund the New Canadians Centre Youth Group at NCC, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers to become full and equal members of Canadian society.

Photo courtesy 100 Women Peterborough

"Students from all of the high schools in Peterborough participate in the New Canadians Centre Youth Group,” says Yvonne Lai, Director of Community Development.

“It's a unique space where local students and newcomers come together to support one another academically, share experiences, connect and grow. This generous donation of $13,000 from 100 Women Peterborough not only helps to close the gap on the funding cut to this program, it's a powerful endorsement from our community that integrating our local and newcomer youth is vital for the continued growth and vibrancy of our community."

Cheque presented to Carol Lawless (middle) from New Canadians Centre

HOW 100 WOMEN PETERBOROUGH WORKS

-> Members commit to donate $100 at each of the four events hosted throughout the year. The aim is to help women learn about the multitude of different causes in the community, help people in need, and join other like-minded women to empower and multiply the impact of their contributions.

-> 100% of the funds raised by the membership will be donated to four non-profit organizations determined by the membership throughout the year.

-> In their first year, 100 Women Peterborough has managed to increase their membership to well over the original goal of 100 members that contribute to different organizations on a quarterly basis.

-> The collective donations throughout the first year were able to impact four organizations chosen (Hospice Peterborough, Youth Unlimited, Warming Room Community Ministries and New Canadians Centre) significantly, with close to $50,000 donated.

-> Women that are interested in joining the group are encouraged to reach out via the website here.

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Free Parking Downtown During Holiday Season Raised $11,488 For Kawartha Food Share

Any money put in the meter during the holiday season when free 2 hour parking was in place went to charity, and generous shoppers stepped up bigtime with their donations. 

Indeed, Peterborough raised a whopping $11,488 for Kawartha Food Share this year through the funds put in meters.

Photo via @brendanwedley

The City of Peterborough’s parking division and the Downtown Business Improvement Area have partnered since 2003 on this free parking initiative, with money put in the meter going to charity each year.

"Once again our community has shown its tremendous generosity," says Mayor Daryl Bennett. "By putting money in the parking machines downtown in December, we are helping to feed people in our community through the efforts of Kawartha Food Share. Thank you to all of the people and downtown businesses that supported this initiative."

Photo via @jamiecsteel

“We could not be more excited to be the recipients of the holiday parking funds again this year!” adds Ashlee Aitken, General Manager of Kawartha Food Share, which assists more than 8,100 men, women and children every month through 36 member agencies.

“This donation comes at a perfect time as we begin to restock our shelves after the very busy holidays and continue to ensure that everyone in Peterborough City and County has safe and reliable access to emergency food."

Photo courtesy DBIA

“We’ve had a very successful holiday shopping season downtown and we’re grateful that we can give back to those who are facing some challenges here in our community,” says DBIA Executive Director Terry Guiel. “Kawartha Food Share provides an important service to many people and we’re happy to see the donation from our downtown shoppers go to such a good cause.”
 
So far, $119,878.41 has been raised over the years for charity from people putting money in the meters during free parking holiday season.

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5th Annual Paint The Town Red For United Way Of Peterborough Raises Record $15,000

The United Way of Peterborough has announced that the 5th annual Paint the Town Red on July 19th raised a record breaking $15,000+.

Thirty-two restaurants, cafes and pubs—up from 22 last year—donated 25 percent of their daily sales to support United Way Peterborough & District, with proceeds directly impacting vital social services in this community. The donations came in from restaurants, individual donations from customers, and the UW's newly launched Text to Give program.

Left to right: United Way of Peterborough Director of Philanthrophic Impact Lisa Smith, United Way of Peterborough CEO Jim Russell & United Way of Peterborough cabinet member Laura Crann.

A Big Red Spoon (with a touch of plaid) was introduced this year by the United Way of Peterborough, and folks were clamouring for a spoon spotting and spoon selfies. Built by United Way cabinet member Terry Guiel—Executive Director of the DBIA—it was a hit all day with restaurant/cafe owners and patrons.

Also, the hashtag #PaintPtboRed was trending on Twitter across Canada, most of the day hovering in the Top 3, once again showing how engaged this community is on social media.

“Our community is passionate and resilient, and the success of this year’s Paint the Town Red event is testament to that," says Jim Russell, CEO of United Way Peterborough & District.

"Our restaurants and food are second to none in the Province. And once again we thank the entrepreneurial spirit of our restauranteurs and their commitment to building local economy while at the same time giving back to community."

The dollars raised in this event will be going right back into this community to support the United Way of Peterborough's 16 partner agencies in their work building a stronger and healthier community.

This year's United Way of Peterborough campaign is chaired by our PTBOCanada Co-Founder Neil Morton. The next two big United Way events are UW's Campaign Launch at the Evinrude Centre on September 19th and Petes Plaid Night in support of United Way on November 2nd. Contact Lisa Smith at the United Way for ticket info for those events.

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Habitat For Humanity Peterborough Hands Keys To Two Families Just In Time For Christmas

Habitat for Humanity Peterborough just made Christmas extra special for two families, handing them the keys to their new houses.

The Nyarota and Young families received the keys to their Habitat homes on Saturday (December 17th) at a Dedication Ceremony. Both families are joyful to move into their homes before Christmas.

The Nyarota family...

The Nyarota family: Sarah, Taku and Lexi

The Young family....

The Young family rocking the plaid: Nicole with daughters Serenity and Savannah

The ceremony included an opportunity to thank the many donors, partners and dedicated volunteers whose generosity helped make homeownership a reality for these families.

Great job by the Habitat team...

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Peterborough Firefighters Give Back To Community With Annual Toy Drive

The Peterborough Professional Firefighters will be donating toys for the Salvation Army Toy Drive again this holiday season. The annual tradition will see them donate $2,000 to purchase toys from The Toy Shop (176 Hunter Street West) in downtown Peterborough.

The firefighters give their cash donation to Toy Shop owner Jean Grant, who can get great deals from her suppliers to stretch that donation. On Saturday, December 10th at 8:30 am, the firefighters will park the fire truck in front of the Toy Shop and load up the toys. George, King of Downtown, will be on hand to assist the firefighters. The firefighters like to spend the toy hamper money locally to support the community and eventually see this money reinvested in Peterborough.

Left to right: Scott Lawder, Brad Luby, Mark Sullivan, Amanda Nichols, Chief Snetsinger, Ed Venuk, Jaclyn Finney, Joe Cadigan & Patrick Wayne

"We (Peterborough Firefighters) recognize a growing need for assistance in the community and have responded this year by doubling our usual donation amount," says Edward Venuk, Secretary Treasurer of the Peterborough Firefighters. "The Toy Shop on Hunter Street has been a great help for many years by helping us purchase quality gifts for kids at a good price in order to help stretch every dollar.”

As well as donating toys, the firefighters are also donating $2,000 for the Salvation Army hamper fund. The firefighters will also assist the Salvation Army by helping to unload trucks of food for the hamper drive (December 9th), move toys for the toy drive (December 12th) and eventually help to deliver these much needed hampers to the community (December 17th).

"It has always been our honor to assist the community of Peterborough whenever there is a need, and we will continue to do so,” adds Venuk.

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City of Peterborough Kicks off United Way Campaign By Announcing Goal Of $75,075

The City of Peterborough launched its 2016 United Way campaign at Sherbrooke Fire Hall with an employee BBQ this week. Attendees dressed their yummy hamburgers as Chief Snetsinger welcomed the crowd.

The City’s goal for this campaign was announced as $75,075 in honour of United Way’s overall theme of 75 Years of Caring.

Chief Snetsinger

Campaign Chair Gwyneth James thanked the City for their unwavering support throughout United Way Peterborough and District’s 75 years in the community:

“The folks here really understand that a strong city benefits everybody," she says, adding "Building up an individual in need of short-term relief by having their basic needs met allows them to move towards finding that job, which in turn helps Peterborough’s economy as a whole.”

Campaign Chair Gwyneth James

United Way CEO, Jim Russell also emphasized the impact the City’s campaign has had: “The City of Peterborough always shows up in a big way to support our community. The $71 million invested over the last 75 years could not have happened without this type of support, so thank you all!”

To learn more about the United Way of Peterborough and all they do in the community, go here.

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