A Rotary Club of Peterborough tradition that’s been 30 years in the making is returning as an in-person event and Rotarian Bruce Gravel, for one, couldn’t be more excited.

The service club’s annual dinner and auction gala, which was held virtually over the course of the pandemic, will be held Friday, April 28th at the Peterborough Golf and Country Club off Armour Road.

With a goal of raising $25,000 for the Rise Youth Housing Program offered by the YES Shelter for Youth and Families, tickets cost $150 and are available online at bit.ly/RotaryAuction2023 until noon on Monday, April 24th. Tickets include a charitable tax receipt for $70.

Gravel, who is co-chairing the event with fellow Rotarian Amy Simpson — they’ve both been at the helm of the auction committee for 10 years — says while the virtual presentations of the event were as successful as could be expected, this is an event that’s meant to be experienced in person.

“A big part of the evening is the socializing and the camaraderie,” says Gravel, a past president of the club that meets every second Monday at the Holiday Inn in downtown Peterborough. “There’s an energy in the room and people feed off that. (Auctioneer) Rob Rusland is amazing. He works the crowd and you’ve got to be in the room for that.”

First held in 1993, the dinner and auction is one of two major annual fundraisers that club organizes. The first is the Carl Oake Rotary Swim, which was held for the 37th time this past March and has raised an estimated $1.37 million since its inception for various organizations — Easter Seals and the Five Counties Children’s Centre among them.

With a $30,000 goal, the bulk of this year’s dinner and auction proceeds ($25,000) will go to the Rising Youth Housing Program, with anything in excess of that amount going to other Rotary-supported projects.

Gravel notes that during the 10 years he and Simpson have overseen the auction committee, there have been various benefactors. For six years, proceeds were earmarked for Habitat for Humanity’s Youth Build Program and, then for two years, Homeward Bound Peterborough. Money raised last year supported the new medical centre at Camp Kawartha, which the club founded way back in 1921 as its first major project.

“Part of our club’s centennial commitment (in 2021) was to make a major donation to the Rise Youth Housing Program,” says Gravel, noting that commitment involves gifting $25,000 per year over several years.

“The program is quite unique. It’s targeted to youth, basically teenagers, who all of a sudden find themselves on their own. The goal is to keep them off the street by teaching them how to maintain a place of their own in terms of cooking, cleaning, budgeting … basically surviving on their own in a proper manner rather than being totally destitute and falling into the things that you can fall into (when that happens).”

Over the course of the past few club meetings, Rotarians have heard success stories associated with the program, notes Gravel.

“Stories of teens who were going down the wrong path — they came from broken homes or abusive or drug-addicted parents. They had to leave to save themselves. The program has taken them in and taught them life skills. They’ve turned their lives around. They’ve finished high school. They’ve gone onto college. Some are now working in various fields. These are kids who would have been on the street otherwise. The program has given them self-confidence.”

Better still, adds Gravel, YES is fully partnering with Rotary on the event, with agency representatives sitting on the planning committee, drumming up auction items, and booking two tables.

The event itself will feature both silent and live auctions, with 12 tables of items as part of the former and Rusland doing his thing for the latter, auctioning off 24 items. And new this time around, there will be live music, with a cellist and a flutist from the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra serenading the pre-dinner reception at 6 p.m.. Dinner itself will consist of three courses and wine beginning at 7 p.m.

Noting the event is an all-hands-on-deck undertaking for the club, Gravel says his fellow Rotarians not only attend in great numbers but also secure auction items.

“All service clubs are being challenged in terms of membership but they’re still vital,” says Gravel. “Size doesn’t necessarily mean effectiveness. We have dropped in membership but we’re holding steady now at around 70 members. The vitality of our club continues, whether we’re at 120 members or at 70 members. Whatever we do, we do try to make it fun.”

In the meantime, Gravel is prepared for the prospect of loading his car at night’s end with newly acquired auction items.

“While I’m running around making sure everything is going smoothly, my spouse (Frances) is running around bidding. I know we haul a lot of stuff to the auction but I never know until the end of the evening how much stuff I’m hauling home. She has her own credit card — she doesn’t need mine.”

Having served 10 years as event co-chair, Gravel says it doesn’t feel like it has been that long, noting the time has “zoomed by.”

“When you’re doing something you love, time shoots right by. It’s a fun commitment.”

For more information about other projects the Rotary Club of Peterborough is involved in, visit www.peterboroughrotary.ca. For more information about YES Shelter for Youth and Families, including the Rise Youth Housing Program, visit yesshelter.ca.

What was billed as a celebration took on a religious revival feel as grateful representatives of several local non-profit organizations publicly expressed amen for grant money received from the Peterborough Foundation.

Held at The Mount Community Centre on Tuesday (April 18) to mark the foundation’s 70th year of giving, the event saw several attendees introduce themselves and briefly explain what their provided grant money was used for before offering their unabashed thanks.

There was, and remains, plenty to be thankful for. From June 2019 to this past December, the foundation granted $242,992 to 49 organizations for capital expenditures. Each applied for grant assistance and, upon review by the foundation’s board, received all or part of the money requested.

Among those expressing thanks was Christina Skuce, director of operations for Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region that, in 2019, received $3,000 for a ramp to make its office at 300 Milroy Drive more accessible.

“Because of COVID we haven’t been able to put it in yet, but it’s going in this year,” said Skuce, noting it was the first time Habitat for Humanity had applied to the foundation for assistance. “That wouldn’t be possible without the Peterborough Foundation. We’re so thankful. I have a huge smile on my face. There’s such an energy and buzz in this room. It’s nice to see something positive.”

Equally appreciative was Chad Hogan, general manager of Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough that, in 2022, was granted $4,815 for repairs to stage back drops that over time had dried out and became brittle.

“In a post-pandemic recovery situation, it’s something that we would have had to put off for awhile but luckily, with the help of the foundation, we were able to get it installed before the doors re-opened,” said Hogan. “I see a lot of familiar faces here, but also people that I don’t recognize. I think that speaks to the breadth and diversity of the groups that have been funded.”

Meanwhile, Canadian Canoe Museum development officer Kate Kennington was on hand to say thank you for a 2022 grant of $10,000 for a “beautiful metal bench” that will be installed on the outdoor campus of the museum’s new home off Ashburnham Drive that is currently under construction.

“It’s incredible to part of such a generous community and hear of such exciting things happening,” said Kennington, adding “We were absolutely delighted to be able to submit a grant application and thrilled receive the money.”

While each benefactor had a unique story to offer, the history of the foundation, which can be traced back more than 120 years, is quite a story in itself.

It was back in 1900 that engineer Louis D.W. Magie, who worked for General Electric in the United States, moved to Peterborough to take a position with company’s Canadian subsidiary, where he remained until his retirement in 1938.

After the death of his wife, Magie married Jessie Fairweather, the daughter of William Fairweather (founder of The Fairweather Company, a leading name on the Canadian retail landscape).

With no immediate family members, Magie started to make arrangements for the provision of their estate in 1950, with the assistance of Dr. G.S. Cameron and accountant James H. Turner.

In 1953, the Peterborough Foundation was incorporated on the strength of Magie’s donation of $5,000 — a large sum at that time.

Upon Magie’s death in 1956 (his wife Jessie had died two years earlier), the couple’s estate was passed on to the foundation, for which he had named its first directors, Dr. Cameron and Turner among them.

To this day, the foundation is required to present its accounts before the Surrogate Court of the County of Peterborough, ensuring its financial statements are a matter of public record. Since its inception, the foundation has distributed more than $2 million from a capital base of just under $1 million.

Seven decades later, Nancy Martin is the board chair, having sat as a board member for 20 years.

“It was a very small group of well-known businessmen that got together and did this (started the foundation),” said Martin. “It just sort of bumped along for years and years and years. People knew about it usually by word of mouth. Just lately, having a web page and these kinds of events has let people know that we’re available to help.”

“We try to keep the application process really simple so you don’t have to have a professional fundraiser on staff to apply,” Martin added. “If anyone has questions, they can phone me. We try to keep this as close to the ground as we can.”

That said, there are some cast-in-stone requirements. For example, any money granted is for capital expenses only, not operational expenses. As well, seed funding for the development of an innovative program is considered. In addition, all applicants have to be based in the city or county of Peterborough.

As she eyed the auditorium, one word came quickly to Martin.

“It’s joyful,” Martin said. “This room is full of good news stories. There are not a lot of good news stories out there. It’s important that we get together and appreciate each other, and the work that we do.”

“My involvement is extraordinarily gratifying. There’s the nice feeling that, when you make a decision about a grant, you do so having a great deal of faith in the integrity of the (applying) organization — that they’re going to do what they say they’re gong to do. It’s a lovely thing to be able to do that but they’re the guys that are doing all the hard work.”

For more information about the Peterborough Foundation, and for application process details, visit www.peterboroughfoundation.org. This year’s application deadlines are May 1st and November 1st, the board meeting after each of those dates to review applications and make its decisions.

A 47-year-old Kinmount man has died in a motor vehicle collision near Kinmount in the City of Kawartha Lakes early Tuesday evening (April 18).

Shortly after 7 p.m., the Kawartha Lakes Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and emergency services responded to a collision on Pinery Road near Kinmount.

The lone occupant of the vehicle, a 47-year-old man from Kinmount, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released the identity of the victim.

Pinery Road was closed near Watson Road for several hours while police documented the scene.

The cause of the investigation remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has video/dash camera footage of the collision and who has not spoken with police is asked to contact the City of Kawartha Lakes OPP Detachment at 1-888-310-1122.

The Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 30-year-old Brighton woman.

Tianna (no last name given) was last seen at around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday (April 18) on Raglan Street in Brighton.

She is described as female, white, 5’10”, approximately 140 lbs, with blonde hair, possibly worn in a ponytail. She has a tattoo of a cat on her right shoulder.

Tianna is possibly wearing a red, blue, and white plaid shirt, with jeans and dark running shoes.

She is known to frequent Northumberland County, Quinte West, Prince Edward County, and the Bancroft area.

Police are concerned for her well-being and are asking anyone who may have information on her whereabouts since Tuesday evening to contact the Northumberland OPP detachment at 1-888-310-1122.

VIDEO: Missing Brighton woman

Bob is a former educator who volunteers at Five Counties Children’s Centre because he loves helping kids. For five years, he’s given his time and talent to support our work and — even in retirement — still has a lesson to share.

“Volunteering is rewarding,” Bob says. “I know a lot of people who volunteer, and they get as much fun out of it as they give. Seeing smiling faces when you volunteer makes you feel good to know that you’re helping.”

Bob’s tireless efforts to support Five Counties make us smile too and that’s appropriate during National Volunteer Week (April 16-22).

It’s the time we celebrate the contributions made by millions of Canadians, who, according to Statistics Canada, contributed five billion volunteer hours in 2018 alone.

While COVID-19 severely curtailed volunteering, Five Counties is fortunate to again have dozens of volunteers supporting our clinical services and fundraising efforts. On the fundraising side over the past year, our volunteers contributed 710 hours — equal to working every minute for an entire month!

For Pam, volunteering at Five Counties is personal, as she was the very first child that Five Counties served at its inception in 1974.

“Five Counties was the outlet for me to gain confidence and get used to socializing with other children my own age,” Pam says. “It helped me so much when I became an adult.”

A childhood connection is part of the reason why Jackie is a donor, volunteer, and fundraiser for Five Counties. As a young child, she used leg braces to help with mobility issues.

“The work that Five Counties does is incredibly important and valuable to help the children they serve,” Jackie notes. “With the help of the various programs and services offered… children are able to live enriched, full lives.”

For Judy, the “seed of interest” to volunteer at Five Counties was planted in seeing her niece receive care and support in the early 1990s from a Toronto-based children’s treatment centre.

“The ordeal of watching my niece struggle and face each day of pain and suffering with bravery and determination was life-changing,” Judy recalls. “I have seen many sick children in my life and they have a certain bravery that is unique to them. It’s as if they were born with an extra dose of courage.”

It’s inspiring to work with Bob, Pam, Jackie, Judy and others who volunteer for many different reasons.

Volunteers tend to downplay their role and work, but what they do is significant — as demonstrated at the Winterfest event that Five Counties organized in February.

While each volunteer contributed three or four hours apiece at the event, the sum total of their efforts was providing enjoyment to hundreds of families, raising awareness about Five Counties programs and services, and netting more than $30,000 to support our work.

Canadian curler Sherry Anderson was right on target in noting, “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.”

At Five Counties, we greatly value our volunteers who are worth their weight in gold!