Learn the scope of plastics in our oceans at Microplastics and Marine Life, a talk by Rhiannon Moore, one of sa国际传媒鈥檚 Top 30 under 30 sustainability leaders, at a luncheon hosted by the Canadian Club of Victoria, Tuesday at the Comfort Inn.
This talk will focus on the current research on ocean plastics, the impact on marine wildlife and solutions to the problem. Moore will touch on how microplastics are being mistakenly eaten by many different animals, affecting the future health of marine food webs.
The public is invited to attend this luncheon.
Tickets are $30 members, $35 guests. The event runs 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Comfort Inn and Suites Convention Centre, 3020 Blanshard St. For reservations call 250-370-1837 or reserve on Eventbrite.
For more information, go to .
Choir in West Shore looking for members
The Gettin鈥� Higher Choir is looking for new West Shore members for a new group that recently started at Alexander Mackie Retirement Community.
Their 鈥渃ome as you are鈥� choir embodies the idea that singing is our birthright. They say even the shyest of voices can rediscover the joy of singing.
The 150 member-strong choir is co-directed by Cathy Baker and Dick Jackson.
The West Shore group meets 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Alexander Mackie Retirement Community, 753 Station Ave. The James Bay group meets 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Church of Truth, 111 Superior St. For more information, go to .
Skating fundraiser to聽aid聽research
Lace up your skates for an afternoon of fun at the Skate for Food Allergies, a fundraiser for the sa国际传媒 Children鈥檚 Hospital Oral Immunotherapy Research Program, Saturday at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre.
Along with spending time on the ice, participants can get to meet four Victoria Grizzlies players, enter a raffle and enter a 50/50 draw.
Local allergists Dr. Victoria Cook and Dr. Scott Cameron will take questions. Parents can learn about desensitization treatment for serious food allergies.
Admission and skate rental at the door. Skating runs 2:45 to 3:45聽p.m. with the doctors answering questions from 4 to 5聽p.m., Feb. 23 at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre, 1767 Island Hwy. For more information, contact Tanya Gesslein at [email protected].
Cold walk will help people in need
Just take a walk to make a difference at Coldest Night of the Year 鈥� a winter fundraiser for people in need, which takes place Saturday.
This is the sixth year of the annual family-friendly walk, which raises money for charities serving hungry and homeless people in Victoria and across sa国际传媒.
In Victoria, there will be two walks: Victoria Pandora, hosted by Our Place Society, and Victoria Queens, hosted by the Mustard Seed Street Church.
You can choose among two-, five- or 10-kilometre walks through the streets of Victoria from either location.
There are three ways you can participate, by forming a team, joining a team or donating to the cause.
You can walk with Don Evans, chief executive officer of Our Place Society. You can join his team and fundraise with him, or make a donation toward his personal fundraising goal of $5,000.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little walk, but it鈥檚 a big deal for the vulnerable people in our community who benefit from your generosity,鈥� said Evans. 鈥淚 really appreciate your support.鈥�
For more information, go to .
Warm the soles of聽kidney聽patients
At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, renal-dialysis patients at the Royal Jubilee Hospital will receive kidney-branded socks as part of the Kidney Foundation鈥檚 Warm the Sole campaign.
Every patient receiving renal dialysis in British Columbia and the Yukon 鈥� about 3,300 patients 鈥� will begin receiving the cosy socks starting on Tuesday.
鈥淲e know patients undergoing dialysis endure many side-effects, one being that their feet can often get cold,鈥� said Pia Schindler, executive director of the foundation. 鈥淭hrough our Warm the Sole campaign, it is our hope that these cosy socks can not only provide a bit of warmth to their soles, but also warm their soul through their journey.鈥�
The socks are the result of the Aviva Community Fund鈥檚 Small Ideas initiative.
A total of 50 of the fund鈥檚 Small Ideas winners were selected across sa国际传媒 to receive $10,000 toward their projects. The Warm the Sole campaign received the highest number of votes from brokers, community members and the public.
As an added bonus to this campaign, the Kidney Foundation partnered with Your City Sports to donate an equal number of socks to homeless people in the Lower Mainland.
鈥淐ampaigns like the Aviva Community Fund are successful over the long term because they directly fund local programs, where we also happen to work and live,鈥� said Colm Holmes, president and CEO of Aviva sa国际传媒.
For more information, go to or .
Community rally on聽for聽Saturday
Last week鈥檚 rally by Hillside-Quadra residents to demand community space was cancelled because of the weather. It has been rescheduled for Feb. 16.
The rally is to urge the City of Victoria to purchase the former Blanshard elementary school site to create green space and public amenities for the community.
Ideas for the property include greenspace, library, child care, gymnasium and expanded multi-purpose community rooms.
The rally takes place between 1 and 2 p.m. on the site of the former Blanshard elementary school, 950 Kings Rd.
For more information, contact Jenn Neilson, organizer, Rally for Community Space in Hillside-Quadra at [email protected] or 778-676-7328.
Dinner and barn dance postponed until March
Due to the recent inclement weather, the St. Joseph the Worker Parish western-themed Valentine Dinner and Barn Dance has been postponed to March 2.
Proceeds from the event will help feed the poor in South Africa and provide for St. Joseph鈥檚 School students鈥� needs.
There will be a dinner buffet with dancing to follow. Attendees are encouraged to dress in denim, a plaid shirt or other western wear.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $8聽for children ages four to 12 and free for children under three. The event runs 6 to 10:30 p.m. March 2 in the gym of St. Joseph鈥檚 School, 757 Burnside Rd. West. Tickets are available on , by calling the parish office at 250-479-7413, by email at [email protected] or in person at the school.
For more information, go to .
Arts groups get funding from CRD
The Capital Regional District Arts Commission is funding 29聽local not-for-profit arts organizations through the Arts and Culture Support Service.
The commission will disburse almost $2.2 million in annual operating assistance to established arts organizations for ongoing programming and administrative expenses.
鈥淐RD arts and culture funding is an investment in the health of our communities,鈥� said Coun. Jeremy Loveday, chair of the commission. 鈥淭he organizations that receive grants produce inspiring and accessible arts and culture that also boost the local economy. They cultivate community identity and bring a higher profile for the region.鈥�
Last year鈥檚 program produced nearly 2,600 arts events with more than 670,000 audience members at CRD-funded events.
The operating-grant program is one of five CRD arts and culture funding programs.
The Arts Development Service is provided by Saanich, Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Highlands, Metchosin, Sooke and the southern Gulf Islands.
For more information, go to .
Rotary Clubs support African widows
It might take a village to raise a child, but local Rotarians prove that in the global village, their members can help children thousands of kilometres away.
At last month鈥檚 meeting, members learned about Oak Bay Rotarian John Jordan鈥檚 Rwanda initiative 鈥� which aims to support widows raising children.
Of all the country鈥檚 pressing needs, the Rwanda initiative chose better health as its goal. To achieve that end, the initiative provided for clay stoves (which reduce the amount of carbon released) for households, improved housing, composting toilets and education to people in the region.
Rotarians heard how the initiative was able to change the life of a young boy. Thanks to the聽sewing program and educational funding, he was able to excel in his medical and surgical studies.
They ended their meeting raising $600 in an hour for the work being done abroad.
鈥� Beginning Feb. 14, Greater Victoria Rotary Clubs will host another sock drive to support local shelters.
People are asked to drop off their donations to: Oak Bay Recreation Centre, Gordon Head Recreation Centre and the Pastoral Centre of the Roman Catholic Diocese.
For more information, go to .
Local student wins Loran聽scholarship
A Victoria student has won a prestigious undergraduate scholarship valued at $100,000.
Laila Shaheen has just been selected as a Loran Scholar, an undergraduate scholarship based on evidence of character, commitment to service in the community and long-term leadership potential.
She was one of 35 recipients in sa国际传媒.
The Loran Award is valued at $100,000 over four years of undergraduate study, including a $10,000 annual stipend, tuition waivers from one of 25 Canadian universities, mentorship, summer-internship funding and an orientation expedition in Algonquin Park, as well as annual retreats and forums.
More than 5,000 students applied this year, and the top 88聽finalists travelled to Toronto for national selections.
For more information, go to .
