Jessie’s Run on Father’s Day? Yes, you should do it for the family and for the community.
When it comes to garage sales or jumble sales, you never know what you’re going to get.
“This will be your staple garage sale, so there will be everything from soup to nuts,” said Lorraine Williams, former president of the local’s Canadian Progress Club Floss (Service in love, kindness and strength).
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, when it comes to the upcoming service club sellout, there’s one thing you know for sure, you’ll be helping support a group of individuals whose love of the sport is matched only by their love of life: the athletes involved in Special Olympics.
She recalled the overwhelming enthusiasm she witnessed from the athletes at the Special Olympics Summer Games hosted by St. Albert in 2009.
“These kids were just rockin’…it’s just amazing to see. They are so happy. They just have an exuberance that no one else has.
It’s one of the reasons she’s hoping to have an athlete meet at the event, but details are still being worked out. Special Olympics is the charity of choice for the national level of the Canadian Progressive Club (CPC), although individual chapters always strive to keep their fundraising in their local communities, she noted.
The next cash fundraiser will take place on Sunday, June 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Grandin Clubhouse, just to the right of the Grandin Outdoor Pool located on Grenfell Avenue. As you’d expect, there will likely be a wide variety of household items, CDs and DVDs, books, games, clothing, and more.
“All kinds of treasures,” Williams said.
To get involved with SILKS, the group meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month (except December, July and August) at Sorrentino’s St. Albert. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Don Andrews Room.
For those interested in learning more about St. Albert Special Olympics and their various activities, please visit specialolympics.ca/alberta/st-albert.
Jessie’s House wants you to break free
The Break Free 5/10K run and walk are lined up for a Father’s Day walk down the path, whatever your pace. Children participate for free if you want to make it a family event. It is a facet of Morinville Holiday Days so after sweating it out during Break Free, you can head to the middle or go straight to the Morinville Farmer’s Market.
All proceeds from the charity event will directly benefit the Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation, the operator of Jessie’s House. In 2021, the facility helped 248 residential customers and 65 community customers through its outreach program. This year would have been busier than ever and public support is essential to help the community break the cycle of abuse and violence.
Register on jessicamartelmemorialfoundation.com/break-free-run. The event begins at 9 a.m. Sunday, June 19 at Morinville Fish and Game Pond, 10621 107 St. It costs an individual participant $50 for the 5k and $60 for the 10k. You can also sponsor a participant or a volunteer if you wish to offer time as a gift.
Before the race, you could take a ride
Dad’s motorcycle ride isn’t just a great reason to go for a thunderous ride with a group of new friends. It is also a fundraiser to help in the fight against prostate cancer.
Since 2007, Ride’s Edmonton Chapter has raised over $3 million for the cause. The organizers offer a simple and vital message to all men over 40: get checked out by your doctor.
Proceeds from our annual events are invested in groundbreaking cancer research and life-saving public awareness campaigns about the importance of how early detection of this disease saves lives.
The event takes place on Sunday, June 11, with registration and breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., with crutches at 10 a.m. sharp. Meet at Blackjacks Roadhouse, 2110 Sparrow Dr., Nisku. Registration is $40 before the 11th, $50 on the day or is free if you ride with $100 or more in pledges.
Visit ridefordad.ca/chapter/edmonton for more info or to register.
Funds raised by the Edmonton Ride for Dad chapter remain in the Edmonton area, with research funds used by Dr. John Lewis and his team at the University of Alberta. They have developed new, state-of-the-art early detection protocols that allow for less invasive testing and more accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer.