St. Albert's premiere charity bowling event on Sunday knocked all the pins down for the second year in a row and also knocked its goal down one big peg.
The second annual Strikes for Cancer, started by then-six-year-old Jaden Babiuk, was a major success according to its organizers. Not only was there a near capacity crowd of sports enthusiasts/humanitarians but also they altogether raised more than $11,000. That figure, although not official, bests the event's original goal of $10,000 and last year's tally of approximately $7,700.
Organizer Marvin Babiuk, Jaden's dad, was clearly impressed and appreciative of the people and companies that showed their support for the cause.
"Probably the big word is 'humbled' by the corporate participation as well as individual participation," Marvin stated, paying special praise to the hosts at the St. Albert Bowling Centre. "They're wonderful, they're fantastic! They've exceeded our expectations. I can't say enough great things about them."
The four-hour charity bowling event showed a strong second act with more participants, better sponsorship and, of course, the higher financial result. Babiuk said that this bodes well for another round in 2011.
"There's a wonderful opportunity for growth. We hope that this has the momentum to carry forward into the future. This is very grassroots. It speaks very highly for all of the corporate [sponsors] in St. Albert."
All of the proceeds will be going to support the Canadian Cancer Society. For more information about the event or to make a late donation, please visit www.strikesforcancer.com. If you prefer to donate straight to the CCS for its Reach for the Cure campaign, please visit www.cancer.ca.
Doctors and Derrières event on Friday
Art enthusiasts and medical students alike will be mingling on Friday evening for the grand finale of the weeklong exhibit called Doctors and DerriÈres. The centrepiece of the show is the silent art auction featuring some of the region's most talented artists, including sculptor Sharon Moore-Foster from St. Albert. But the main attraction is the broad range and the quality of the array of art itself.
This is the fifth time around for this unique campaign that on its surface is an opportunity to get university medical students to shed their clothes for a good cause. Looking a little deeper, it does more to shed light on our common humanity. After all, the proceeds from the auction of the art pieces go to support Change for Children's emergency social health fund, a program that provides innovative solutions to the lack of health services in approximately 40 struggling villages in El Salvador.
That cause is close to the heart of curator and contributor Roger Garcia. Originally from that Central American country and now a fascinating painter in Edmonton, he has some trouble believing how popular it has become.
"It's just been picking up steam. We had a waiting list for models this year. That's a first," he said, mentioning that they still had 22 models pose for 33 artists. "[It] continues to be successful each year because it captures the interest and enthusiasm of everyone involved. The models, organizers, artists and attendees all look forward to seeing the finished artwork at the show, especially knowing the charity it supports."
In the last four years it has raised more than $30,000 for the cause.
The fifth annual Doctors and DerriÈres evening reception and silent art auction takes place from 7 to 11 p.m. on April 30 at Enterprise Square Gallery, 10230 Jasper Ave.
For more information on the event, the charity or the artists, please visit doctorsandderrieres.blogspot.com.
