Government House will host its inaugural blood donor clinic tomorrow with Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon on hand to thank eligible donors who show up to give the gift of life.
Guichon will be joined by Leah Hollins, board chair for Canadian Blood Services, and David Patterson, director of donor relations for the British Columbia and Yukon region.
Donors can book an appointment by downloading the GiveBlood app or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
The clinic runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Government House, 1401 Rockland Ave. For more information, go to blood.ca.
The Canadian Blood Services is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization that manages the supply of blood and blood products in all provinces and territories outside Quebec.
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Mob raises awareness for听fitness challenge
A flash mob did 105 lunges along Johnson Street last week as part of a campaign to draw attention to What鈥檚 Your 105?, a fitness challenge that will culminate with two women swimming 105 kilometres non-stop.
Long-distance swimmers Alex Cape and Susan Simmons joined forces with Crossfit Zone Victoria鈥檚 Deanna Whiteley to organize a series of flash mobs performing fitness routines on April听18. The date was exactly 105 days before the two women embark on a 105-kilometre swim of Lake Cowichan this summer.
While the swim, which is expected to take 50 hours, will be one for the record books, the goal for the event is much broader. The organizers are hoping people set their own fitness goals as a way to support the two women with their swim.
鈥淚 believe everyone has a 105, they simply have to train for it,鈥� said Simmons, 50. 鈥淚 hope people will sign up for their own 105鈥檚, be it 105 burpees [an exercise], a 10.5-kilometre run or even 105 meditations.鈥�
Simmons has been swimming for 10 years as a way to manage the symptoms related to multiple sclerosis.
鈥淚 want to show people with MS how swimming may help them manage the disease,鈥� she said.
The pair will embark on the unassisted flat water solo swim July 31 in Cowichan Lake. For more information, go to whatsyour105.com.
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Winemakers fundraise for Royal sa国际传媒 Museum
Naramata winemakers will be in Victoria on Tuesday for Art鈥檔鈥� Facts of Wine, a fundraiser in support of the Royal sa国际传媒 Museum and the Royal sa国际传媒 Museum Foundation.
Representatives from 19 wineries overlooking Okanagan Lake will break out their spring wine releases along with food prepared by local chefs, charcuteries, cheese shops and bakeries.
鈥淭he funds raised from this event will be invested in our learning programs and field research,鈥� said Angela Williams, COO of the museum. 鈥淚t鈥檚 sure to be an elegant and enjoyable evening, and we are anticipating it will sell out.鈥�
Tickets are $95. Members of the museum receive a 10 per cent discount. The event runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Crystal Garden. Tickets are available at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/events/ art-n-facts-of-wine or 250-356-7226.
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Car rally benefits Alzheimer foundation
There may still be a few spots left for the Rally 4 Memories, a car rally from Victoria to Campbell River that starts Saturday, May 2.
The rally, in which participants enjoy the scenic drive up-Island, a tasty lunch at Pacific Prime at the Beach Club in Parksville and two nights of leisure in Campbell River, is a fundraiser for We Rage We Weep Alzheimer Foundation. The registered charity, founded in 2006, supports caregivers of those with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease or related dementia.
The itinerary of the rally includes lunch, wine tasting at 40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery, an arrival reception, dinner, silent auction and two nights鈥� accommodation in an ocean-view room at Painter鈥檚 Lodge.
The registration fee is $600 per car (driver and a navigator) and a tax receipt is provided. A drivers鈥� meeting will be held at the Vancouver Island Brewery to discuss details of the route. For more information, go to werageweweep.com or call 250-920-9573.
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AIDS fundraiser aims to听tempt your palate
Enjoy a delicious meal and raise money for a good cause on Thursday at Dining Out For Life, AIDS Vancouver Island鈥檚 annual fundraiser supporting Island programs and services for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
For one day, some of the best-loved restaurants across Vancouver Island will donate 25 per cent of their food sales to AIDS Vancouver Island.
The event offers an opportunity for restaurants to show their community spirit and connect with potential new customers. Many restaurants are also planning to offer special menu items on the day.
鈥淲e participate in Dining Out For Life because it unites our passion for great food with our desire to give back to the community who have dined at our restaurants for so many years,鈥� said Tom Ferris, co-owner of Ferris鈥� Oyster Bar. 鈥淢any members of our Island community count on the work that AIDS Vancouver Island does, and we鈥檙e happy to be a part of making a difference in those lives.鈥�
This is the 10th year of the event, which has raised more than $350,000 for programs and services across Vancouver Island.
Dining Out For Life Vancouver Island is part of a larger international effort involving AIDS organizations serving 60 cities and regions across North America. A complete list of participating restaurants is available at avi.org/dineout.
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Cops go the distance for听Special Olympics
Victoria law-enforcement personnel will head to the rooftops May 1 to 3 for Free the Fuzz, a Law Enforcement Torch Run event in support of Special Olympics sa国际传媒
For three days, three law-enforcement officers will camp out on scaffolding while members of Central Saanich Police Services, the Saanich Police Department, Oak Bay Police Department and Victoria Police Department collect donations from the community to free the fuzz and raise awareness for Special Olympics.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a global movement with more than 97,000 volunteers spanning 46 countries that raises funds and awareness for Special Olympics. Since 1990, the sa国际传媒 chapter of the organization has raised more than $3 million for the cause.
This year鈥檚 Law Enforcement Torch Run will take place during sa国际传媒鈥檚 Torch Run Month on June听13. Law-enforcement personnel and Special Olympics sa国际传媒 athletes will walk or run for five kilometers along the Galloping Goose Trail to raise funds and awareness.
The Free the Fuzz event starts at 5 p.m. Friday and runs until Sunday at the Uptown shopping centre, 3440 Saanich Rd. The fundraiser will also include a dunk tank, face painting for kids, hot-dog sales, coffee by donation, as well as K9 demonstrations. For more information, go to specialolympics.bc.ca/letr or Twitter @LETRBC.
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Academy Dental helps those in need 鈥� again
There will be a few more smiles and a few less cavities as Academy Dental hosts its annual Dentistry From The Heart event on Monday.
This is the third year the local dental clinic has put on the service, which offers free basic dentistry to those in need. The event served 145 patients last year. On a first-come-first-served basic, people can get their choice of a filling, tooth extraction or teeth cleaning.
Dentists on hand include Frank Van Gyn, Rachel Staples and others.
Dentistry From The Heart started in 2001 as a way for dentists to give back to the community and provide aid to the growing number of people without dental insurance. The event has grown to include more than 200 annual events around the world. More than 80,000 people have received free dental services.
The event runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Academy Dental, 1195 Fort St. For more information, contact Joanna Peitler at [email protected], 250-385-6552 or visit dentistvictoria.com.
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Benefit concert aids brain-injury survivors
Proceeds from the We Can鈥檛 Wait! benefit concert on Thursday will help the Victoria Brain Injury Society keep up with the increasing number of survivors asking for support.
Money raised at the concert will help the society reduce the wait time for services for survivors so they receive help when they need it.
鈥淚t takes tremendous courage for brain-injury survivors to reach out for help and support. When they pick up that phone, we want to be able to help them straight away,鈥� said Krissi Spinoza, executive director of the society.
鈥淭he proceeds from this fantastic event will help us support more survivors of brain injury and their families and mean fewer people having to wait for the help they need.鈥�
The concert features Kick Start, a local four-piece cover band playing classic rock songs, and Tight Hair, which plays a mixture of disco, dance and funk tunes from the 鈥�70s.
Tickets are $15. The concert runs from 7 to 11:30 p.m. at the Victoria Event Centre, 1415 Broad St. Tickets are available at eventbrite.ca or from Victoria Brain Injury Society reception at 250-598-9339. For more information, go to vbis.ca.
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Commissionaires鈥� golf听tourney aids seniors
The popular Commissionaires Broadmead Care Annual Charity Golf Tournament tees off Friday morning.
The theme for this year鈥檚 event is Links for Lifts, with all proceeds from the tournament 鈥� including 18 holes of golf, prizes, a silent auction and a meal 鈥� going to purchase 199 ceiling lifts for every bedroom for veterans and other seniors living at the Lodge at Broadmead.
鈥淢odern overhead ceiling lifts are needed in each room,鈥� said Dave Cheperdak, CEO of the facility.
鈥淚n the past, portable lifts have been used. However, they are not easily positioned, are often inaccessible and can cause anxiety for the residents, especially those who are dealing with some form of dementia. Moreover, the new ceiling lifts will prevent injuries to the nursing and care-giver staff.鈥�
The Canadian Corps of Commissionaires is the single largest employer of veterans in sa国际传媒, and Commissionaires Victoria the Islands and Yukon is again the title sponsor for the tournament.
鈥淲e are proud to support our veterans,鈥� said John Dewar, CEO of the organization. 鈥淲e hire them and through our commitment to Broadmead Care, we are indeed honoured to support the ongoing care for our veterans.鈥�
Entrance fees for the tournament start at $160. Shotgun start is at 11:30 a.m. at Uplands Golf Club, 3300 Cadboro Bay Rd. For more information, go to broadmeadcare.com.
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Fundraiser a benefit for听diabetes association
Victorians can join thousands of people across sa国际传媒 at Lace Up, a fundraising walk or run with Team Diabetes, on Sunday, May 3.
The family-friendly event helps raise funds for programs, services, research and education on diabetes, which affects more than 10 million Canadians. It is hosted by the Running Room to benefit the Canadian Diabetes Association.
鈥淭his is a fun way to get active and make a difference for people in your community,鈥� said Penny Murray, branch co-ordinator for Vancouver Island.
鈥淭here are an estimated 442,000 people in British Columbia living with diabetes and events like these help the [association] raise much-needed funds to provide diabetes support, education and advocacy. This includes our one-of-a-kind D-Camps for children with type 1 diabetes, including our local family camp, which is hosted at Camp Homewood on Quadra Island.鈥�
Participants and supporters attending the event can also expect a fun afternoon of entertainment and information alongside the walk/run.
Registration is $30 for adults, $20 for youth/ seniors, $60 for a family (maximum of six, including two adults), and free for children under 12. People can sign up for either a 2.5- or five-kilometre walk or run.
The family-friendly event runs from 1 to 4听p.m. at Beaver/Elk Lake Regional Park on the Pat Bay Highway. Register at events.runningroom.com/ site/?raceId=11887. For more information, go to diabetes.ca.
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Fundraiser tackles extreme poverty
Connie Lebeau will likely be very hungry tomorrow, her fifth day living in extreme poverty, as part of the Live Below the Line challenge.
The challenge, a life-changing experience for some, requires participants to spend no more than $1.75 a day on food and drink for five days. It makes people think differently about extreme poverty and the choices necessary to survive on such a meagre sum.
Lebeau will be hosting a fundraising event tomorrow. Lisa Helps, mayor of Victoria, will be in attendance to speak about extreme poverty.
The event runs 3 to 5 p.m. at Pagliacci鈥檚 Restaurant, 1011 Broad St. For more information, go to livebelowtheline.com/ me/connielebeau.
