There were smiles all round as United Way Greater Victoria announced it had achieved its 2017 fundraising goal of more than $5 million at its annual Spirit Awards on Wednesday.
The annual awards recognize donors, workplaces and organizations for their community support.
In 2017, 235 workplaces ran fundraising campaigns. Money raised will be invested in programs and services to benefit children, youth, families and seniors in Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands.
The $5 million raised is one-third of its three-year fundraising goal of $15 million.
Altogether, 13 Spirit Awards were presented.
David Curtis, president and CEO of Viking Air Limited, received the Chair鈥檚 Award of Distinction 鈥� the most prestigious award. It is bestowed for an individual鈥檚 extraordinary commitment to United Way鈥檚 community campaign through the workplace and individual giving.
The fundraising goal announcement was an important achievement for United Way Patricia Jelinski, president and CEO. She will be leaving the organization as of May 1 to pursue a new opportunity outside the non-profit sector.
At the event, it was revealed that Al Hasham, president and CEO of Maximum Express Courier and Max Furniture, will lead community fundraising efforts as community campaign chair in 2018.
The United Way Greater Victoria is one of the region鈥檚 largest annual funders of local social-service programs. For more information, go to .
Your green thumb needed at Finnerty Gardens
With longer and warmer days, plants at the University of Victoria鈥檚 Finnerty Gardens are starting to sprout. Volunteers are needed to help the garden look its best. The Friends of Finnerty Gardens are hosting a spring cleanup volunteer day, Saturday at the gardens. People are needed to help with raking, cutting and pulling dead and diseased plants, clipping back ferns 鈥� and generally sprucing up the gardens for the spring blooms.
No need to bring tools, as they will be supplied. Just turn up in a good pair of work shoes (or boots) and gloves for a fun half-day of digging in the dirt.
The cleanup runs 9 a.m. to noon, April 21, rain or shine. RSVP, and sign up with Anne Mace, volunteer co-ordinator, at 250-479-7677 or [email protected].
For more information, go to .
Cadet earns five shooting medals
A Victoria cadet has brought home five medals from last week鈥檚 Provincial Cadet Marksmanship Competition.
Shauna-Marie Bae-Trottier, 13, a corporal with 2483 Princess Patricia鈥檚 Canadian Light Infantry Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, earned the medals at the competition at CFB Esquimalt.
She won gold in the Junior Prone and Junior Cumulative categories, silver in the Junior Standing and Open Cumulative categories, and bronze in the Open Standing category.
Thanks to her accomplishments, she could represent sa国际传媒 in the National Cadet Marksmanship Championship next month. She would be one of only 10 individual competitors from across the country chosen for the national championship. At the competition, cadets shoot in prone and standing positions. Cadets under 15 are considered for both junior and open categories.
Marksmanship is an Olympic sport that teaches safety, focus and stress-calming techniques to produce a steady hand, as well as leadership and teamwork.
The cadet program aims to develop in youth, age 12 to 18, the attributes of good citizenship and leadership, promote physical fitness, and stimulate the interest of youth in sea, land and air activities of the Canadian Armed Forces. For more information, go to .
Historic cemetery gets a cleanup
Light refreshments await volunteers taking part in a community cleanup of St. Luke鈥檚 Historic Cemetery on Saturday.
The church, one of Victoria鈥檚 oldest church burial grounds, needs help to keep the graveyard tidy. Volunteers can help by cleaning headstones, weeding and cleaning graves.
The grounds are the final resting place of many Cedar Hill, Lake Hill and Gordon Head pioneers.
The cleanup runs 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the church, 3821 Cedar Hill Cross Rd.
Community cleanups will be held on the third Saturday of the month, through August. For more information, call 250-477-6741 or go to .
School celebrates environmental honour
脡cole Margaret Jenkins School will hold a special school assembly on Thursday to celebrate being selected as one of 10 schools across sa国际传媒 to win $20,000 in new technology from Staples sa国际传媒.
The school won for its achievements in environmental stewardship and education in the community. The prize was part of the Superpower Your School contest, organized annually by Staples and Earth Day sa国际传媒, to mark Earth Month and celebrate people of all聽ages 鈥� both students and teachers.
鈥淭hrough the program, we鈥檙e able to see the incredible depth of eco-stewardship found in the Canadian character, particularly in our schools,鈥� said David Boone, CEO of Staples sa国际传媒.
鈥淚鈥檓 thoroughly impressed and inspired by the initiative and passion shown by our young minds and members of the education community as they come up with ideas that have local impact and make the world a more livable, enjoyable place.鈥�
The contest recognizes Canadian schools paving the road to youth participation in environmental protection 鈥� by teaching current and future generations about the importance of sustainable development.
鈥淔rom a chicken coop on campus that provides eggs for the school鈥檚 breakfast and lunch programs, to establishing an annual forest festival that engages 2,000 children, the work of this year鈥檚 winners goes far beyond traditional school initiatives,鈥� said Deborah Doncaster, president of Earth Day sa国际传媒. 鈥淭he winners are an inspiration and we are proud to recognize and celebrate their efforts.鈥�
The winners 鈥� five elementary and five secondary schools 鈥� were chosen from among more than 740 applications submitted across the country.
The assembly to recognize and celebrate the achievement starts at 10:45 a.m. Thursday at the school, 1824 Fairfield Rd. First launched in 2011, the Superpower Your School program has awarded a total of $1.95 million in technology products to about 80 schools. For more information, or to learn about the winning projects, go to .
Dry grad gets a big boost
sa国际传媒 Liquor Store customers helped raise more than $275,000 for the stores鈥� annual Support Dry聽Grad campaign.
Organized by students, parents and schools, dry-grad events allow students to celebrate graduation in a fun, alcohol-free environment.
This year鈥檚 campaign supports dry-grad events at more than 270聽high schools throughout the province. Examples of alcohol-free graduation events planned include dances, mock-casino nights and Karaoke contests.
All donations raised by the stores go to the school district in which the store is located. It is distributed to public high schools and participating independent schools that are planning alcohol-free graduation activities.
Since the campaign鈥檚 start in 2001, more than $6.77 million has been raised.
鈥淲e are thrilled by the level of support sa国际传媒 Liquor Stores鈥� customers have shown for this year鈥檚 Support Dry Grad campaign,鈥� said Blain Lawson, general manager and CEO, Liquor Distribution Branch. 鈥淭he response clearly demonstrates the level of commitment from our customers and employees to keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors, and encouraging them to participate in safe, fun and memorable graduation celebrations.鈥�
For more information on the Liquor Distribution Branch鈥檚 commitment to social responsibility, go to .
Grant funds special ventilators
The TB Vets Charitable Foundation has just announced a donation of $15,000 to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation to fund the purchase of specialized ventilators for the intensive care unit at Royal Jubilee Hospital.
The new ventilators are non-invasive equipment to be used by patients who require breathing support following major trauma, congestive heart failure or severe lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
鈥淭he new ventilators will be used to assist the most critical patients to breathe,鈥� said Zachary Hilberry, regional practice lead for respiratory therapy services, Island Health.
鈥淭his new equipment is designed to be more comfortable and less invasive for patients 鈥� it works like a sealed face mask and requires no intubation, instead relying on positive-pressure ventilation to help patients breathe.鈥�
The TB Vets Charitable Foundation works throughout British Columbia to fund respiratory equipment, research and support. The organization raises funds through the TB Vets Key Tag Campaign and other fundraising initiatives.
Since 1982, they have donated more than $1.375 million through the Victoria Hospitals Foundation to Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals, enabling state-of-the-art respiratory care for patients. For more information, go to .
Multicultural festival on Saturday
The Cook Street Village Activity Centre celebrates many cultures at its Multicultural Festival on Saturday.
Performers and events include White Eagle Band, We Speak Translate (an app that helps people communicate in different languages), Veselka Ukrainian Dancers, an imam discussing similarities of religions, Victoria Grandmothers for Africa, and Damba Dance (African dance and drumming).
Activities include an art show, International Women鈥檚 Catering Co-op, dress-up in traditional African clothing and beads, and henna tattoos.
Admission is by donation.
The festival runs 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cook Street Village Activity Centre, 380聽Cook St. For more information, call 250-384-6542 or go to .