Craftsman Collision is teaming up with Save-On Foods and PriceSmart foods to make a dent in hunger – pun totally intended.
These companies are coming together to host a one-day food drive, on Saturday, Sept. 19 – from 1 to 5 p.m. – intended to collect food for the Salvation Army.
In an effort to keep local families from going hungry this fall, volunteers from Craftsman in Langley and the Gateway of Hope will be set up at Save-On-Foods at 20151 Fraser Hwy., handing customers a shopping list of ideal, non-perishable food items to shop for and donate.
They’re hoping customers will buy two items on the list and help fill a courtesy car with food for the Christmas hamper program at Gateway of Hope.
The food is especially in need as the demand for hampers has risen and the pantry has been depleted through the years, said Troy Gaglardi, Gateway’s director of community resources.
“It’s that easy to give back to your community,” he said.
Craftsman has pledged to match every item donated, meaning that for every can people donate, two cans will make it onto the local Sally Ann shelves.
Last year’s Make A Dent campaign raised more than $23,000. Gaglardi said the demand for help in this community and across the province has risen in the past year.
The suggested shopping list includes pasta sauce, pasta noodles, canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned meats (tuna, ham, chicken), macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, rice, Hamburger Helper, oatmeal and instant breakfasts, instant noodles, and canned bake beans.
Launch information came too late
It turns out the new Walnut Grove night market I told you about last week, was postponed. Just after deadline for last week’s What’s In Store column, the information came in that the launch of a night market in North Langley had to be delayed “due to uncontrollable circumstances.”
Consequently, the Walnut Grove Business Association has rescheduled the launch of its new community market to this Friday, apologizing for any inconvenient the change of date made, said executive coordinator Teresa Brown.
“With just a few booth spaces left available… we are looking forward to a great community event launching Friday, Sept. 18,” she said. The community artisan markets are expected to run Fridays through Oct. 12, 4 to 8 p.m. at 8880 202nd St.
As I mentioned last week, based on popularity, this event could continue into winter too, but would be moved indoors. Space rental is possible by calling 604-866-7338 or admin@wgba.ca.
If you attend this Friday, let our readers know what you thought was best feature of the market at rhooper@langleyadvance.com.
In the meantime, WGBA held its annual golf tournament last month, and announced the first annual event at The Redwoods Golf Course raised an estimated $4,000 – pretty good for an inaugural event. They sold out with 50 participants. The event included the tee off, dinner reception, and prizes, Brown explained to me.
“And the weather was absolutely perfect… It was lots of fun.”
All fundraising efforts undertaken by the WGBA, including this new golf tourney, raise money for the Langley school district’s foundation, with money earmarked to help less fortunate families – and more specifically the students – in Walnut Grove.
It was such a great success, Brown said, that they’ve already booked the next golf tournament for July 19, 2016. She said an auction might be incorporated into the plans for next year.
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Chamber calendar filling up
On the heels of the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce monthly dinner meeting featuring Langley MLAs Mary Polak and Rich Coleman, the chamber’s gearing up for a busy fall complete with a Lunch & Learn held Wednesday at the new chamber office featuring Sherri-Lee Woycik talking growing an email list using Facebook.
Next up in the chamber’s monthly series of meetings is the Open Late for Business event.
Storage For Your Life is a 16-year-old North Langley business hosting the September reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the freeway and 200th Street.
While this event is complimentary, guests are required to pre-register at 604-371-3770 or info@langleychamber.com.
Also on the upcoming chamber calendar are two all-candidates meetings hosted by the chamber and the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, in advance of the Oct. 19 federal election.
The meeting for the Cloverdale-Langley City riding is being held Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Kwantlen’s Langley campus, while a meeting for the Langley-Aldergrove riding is slated for Thursday, Oct. 8 in the Fraser River presentation theatre at the Township of Langley civic facility (20338 65th Ave.)
Both meetings are set from 7 to 9 p.m. For inquiries, people can call the chamber office at 604-371-3770.
For more information on these and other chamber meetings, people can research more details and register online at langleychamber.com.
Sears team ride across the country for cancer kids
They dipped their wheels in the Pacific Ocean last Thursday, kicking off a 7,000-km-plus journey across Canada to help raise money and awareness for children living with cancer.
There are 33 cyclists making up the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride who embarked on this trip. They’re expecting to dip their wheels into the Atlantic Ocean in Halifax on Sept. 26.
The national riders are cycling across Canada, visiting many communities, stopping at Sears stores and paediatric oncology centres, meeting children and families from the childhood cancer community, as well as health care and family support professionals, donors and sponsors – all united in the goal to improve the quality of life for children affected by cancer, said Sears vice-president Becky Penrice, president of the Sears Canada Charitable Foundation.
“We are honoured to play any part we can in the fight to end kids’ cancer,” Penrice said. “No family should ever hear the words ‘your child has cancer.’ Whether you ride, volunteer or donate to the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride you are making a difference in the lives of those affected,” she said.
The Sears National Kids Cancer Ride funds programs that improve the lives of children living with cancer, as well as those recovering from the physical and emotional scars that can be part of survivorship. With a 100 per cent donation model, more than $9 million has been raised and donated since 2008, and money raised this year will again fund pediatric hematology and oncology research programs at hospitals all across Canada.
“Money raised is critical in helping fund programs that can improve the survival rates and the quality of life for children with cancer,” said Jeff Rushton, co-founder and volunteer of Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation (CTCACF), a volunteer-based registered Canadian charitable foundation focused on improving health outcomes and quality of life of children and families impacted by cancer. “With each kilometre pedalled, collectively we will enrich the quality of life of Canadian children burdened by this devastating disease.”
Each year in Canada, about 1,500 children are diagnosed with cancer, the leading cause of disease-related death in children in Canada.
With improved diagnosis and treatment 75 per cent of children and teens now survive five years or more.
However, 60 per cent of survivors have long-lasting effects and/or secondary cancers or permanent impairments as a result of their cancer or treatment. Childhood cancers are very different from adult cancers and rarely benefit from general cancer research.
The detection and treatment of childhood cancer places unique demands on the health care system.
For more information, to register as a rider or a volunteer, or to make a donation, visit www.SearsNationalKidsCancerRide.com or follow the riders as they cycle across Canada on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SNKCR or on Twitter @SNKCR and #childhoodcancer.
Another grand re-opening held for Passionate Home
Through the years, many of you will recall me talking about Carrie Thachuk and her team at The Passionate Home, and how this tiny downtown Langley City business has grown and evolved.
Well, the most recent update comes out the day of her grand re-opening in another, newer and larger location across the courtyard of McBurney Plaza.
She’s actually been in the new two-storey location for coming up on two months, but will be holding a bit of a party tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. (in the former McBurney Junction space).
“We’ll be celebrating our new space with a special evening of fun, demonstrations, refreshments and special offers,” Thachuk said.
“So many people remember shopping at our very first location in the Old Country Mall and have been with us every step of the way, for that I am so very honoured,” said the company founder.
And if you can’t make it to the grand opening of this reclaimed furniture store, Thachuk is also gearing up for her fifth annual Chairs + More for Charity event in support of the Langley Christmas Bureau.
Stay tuned to her website (thepassionatehome.com) and this column for more information as the Nov. 5 event nears.
