One of the city's newest service clubs is also its youngest. A group of teenagers at St. Albert Catholic High School has formed a Rotary Club for youth called Interact. The club's first order of business is to work to help someone even younger than they are.
Halle Popowich is only five. Less than six months ago, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and is in desperate need of a bone-marrow transplant.
Grade 12 student Lindsey Johnson has never met little Halle but was touched by the girl's story. After Johnson founded the new Interact club at her school, she and her 27 colleagues decided to help out in any way they could.
"Cancer is a prevalent disease around everybody's lives. Everybody knows someone. We needed a more direct route to help out."
The campaign called Hope for Halle kicks off today. It is intended to promote awareness of the girl's situation and the disease, while also raising money for research into a cure.
"A lot of people have been talking about Halle. I think people needed a way to organize themselves in order to make a difference for that cause," she began.
"So many people were like 'Oh, that's so sad' but I don't think they knew how to go forward with something on it. Interact would give people a way to do that."
To achieve that end, Interact will station some of its members both in the lobby of St. Albert Place and at the south location of Safeway (in Gateway Village) from noon to 4 p.m. today and tomorrow (1 to 4 p.m. at Safeway). They will be handing out pop and juice, talking about Halle and the need for bone-marrow donors, and asking for donations.
All proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.
Next Wednesday, they will be wearing ribbons on their wrists to highlight the word 'HOPE' as a way of encouraging hope for all the children with leukemia.
Keiskamma gets local potters involved for fundraiser
Edith Sinnema is just one of the many local artists who want to put their art where their mouths are. She talks about the Keiskamma Trust as a way of helping so many people on the other side of the planet and next weekend, she wants the public to come out and show its support too.
"I've been down there to work with a couple of potters there, helping set up the potters' room," she said, talking of her experiences during her two trips to the affected regions. "I've been very impressed by the good work that [the organization's Edmonton-based director] Annette Woudstra has been doing down there."
Art for Art is an event to raise funds and awareness for the Keiskamma Trust, a South African non-governmental organization that works to fight poverty and the ravages of HIV/AIDS on isolated villages in the country. It provides health outreach, after-school care and education opportunities, plus various cultural initiatives like a music academy, an art co-op, and a ceramics studio.
Sinnema helped to launch the Keiskamma Trust's ceramics studio and she hopes to help bring in funding for a new kiln. She has donated some of her work to next Saturday's Art for Art event to support the Trust. Joining her are other local potters including Willie Renema, Julie Hage, Gina Joys, Mary-Lou Cantalon, Yasmin Butler, Cheryl Ferguson, Sharon Moore-Foster, and Nell Sadee.
Among the more than 40 contributors include celebrated Edmonton artists Carol Burgess, Sean Caulfield, Jim Davies, Tom Gale, Laurie MacFayden, Lynn Malin, Brenda Malkinson, Gerry Rasmussen, Robert Sinclair and William Prettie. The evening will also feature music by Terry McDade.
The Art for Art Silent Auction and Sale takes place next Saturday, Nov. 10 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Highlands Golf Club, 6603 Ada Blvd. in Edmonton.
Tickets are $30 at the door or $25 in advance through artforart.eventbrite.ca or by calling 780-464-4584.
For more information visit www.keiskamma.org.
Terry Fox gets boost from schools
All three of St. Albert's school districts put their best collective feet forward in September during the 32nd running of the Terry Fox Run.
The combined total from St. Albert Public and Catholic Schools and the Greater North Central Francophone Education Region #2 equaled $35,668.13. The students at Sir George Simpson brought in the highest amount of pledges with $7,944.67 and école Marie Poburan had the second highest with $5,626.78.
Teacher Cindy Andrews decided to keep track of the totals from year to year. She was pleased with how they all performed.
"It's an impressive amount of money for one event that takes place every year," she stated. "If some schools aren't doing it, maybe this will entice them to participate in this event next year."
