When it comes to garage sales or rummage sales, you never know what you’re going to get.
“It’s going to be your basic garage sale, so there’s going to be everything from soup to nuts in there,” said Lorraine Williams, the past president of the local chapter of the Canadian Progress Club SILKS (Service in Love Kindness and Strength).
Paraphrasing Forrest Gump aside, when it comes to the service club’s upcoming rummage sale, there is one thing you do know for certain, you will be helping to support a group of individuals whose love of sport is rivalled only by their love of life: athletes involved with Special Olympics.
She recalled the abundant enthusiasm she witnessed from athletes during the Special Olympics Summer Games hosted by St. Albert in 2009.
“These kids were just rockin’ … it’s just amazing to see. They’re just such a joyous bunch. They’ve just got an exuberance that nobody else has.”
That's one of the reasons why she's hoping to have an athlete for people to 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), though the individual chapters always strive to keep their fundraising in their local communities, she noted.
The upcoming cash-only 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. Just like you'd expect, there will likely be a smorgasbord variety of household items, CDs and DVDs, books, games, clothes, and more.
“All kinds of treasures,” Williams said.
To become involved in SILKS, the group meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month (exceptions are December, July, and August) at Sorrentino's St. Albert. The meetings start at 6:30 p.m. in the Don Andrews room.
For those who wish to learn 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 is lined up for a Father’s Day stroll on the path, whatever your pace may be. Kids participate for free if you want to make it a family event. It’s a facet of Morinville Festival Days so after you break a sweat during Break Free then you could head over to the midway 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 assisted 248 residential clients and 65 clients in the community through its outreach program. This year has reportedly been busier than ever, and public support is vital to helping the community to break the cycle of abuse and violence.
Register at jessicamartelmemorialfoundation.com/break-free-run. The event starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 19 at the 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 volunteer if you want to offer the gift of time.
Before the run, you could take a ride
The Motorcycle Ride for Dad is not just a good reason to take a rolling thunder ride with a bunch of new friends. It's also a fundraiser to help in the fight against prostate cancer.
Since 2007, the Ride's Edmonton chapter has raised more than $3 million for the cause. Organizers offer the simple, life-saving message to all men over the age of 40: get checked by your doctor.
The proceeds raised 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 to 9:45 a.m., with kickstands up at 10 a.m. sharp. Get yourself to Blackjacks Roadhouse, 2110 Sparrow Dr., in Nisku. Sign up is $40 before the 11th, $50 on the day, or free if you ride in with $100 or more in pledges.
Visit ridefordad.ca/chapter/edmonton for more info or to sign up.
The funds raised by the Edmonton Ride for Dad Chapter stay in the Edmonton area, with research dollars being utilized by Dr. John Lewis and his team at the University of Alberta. They have developed some state-of-the-art new early-detection protocols that allow for less invasive testing and more accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer.
