BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
When the Rayside Balfour Youth Action Network (RBYAN) calls on its community for support, the whole town answers back with authority.
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?Cancer touches everyone and this event will allow us to help those people,? says organizer Justin Carré. |
RYBAN has planned a youth and community Walk for a Cure event and the whole town has gotten behind it to give it a big push.
?We?ve done a few events over the summer that boosted community morale, but we wanted to do more,? said Justin Carré, summer special events co-ordinator with RBYAN.
Carré is already overwhelmed at the support the event.
?One RBYAN volunteer, Lee Charlebois, has already raised over $600 in one week by going door-to-door around the community,? said Carré. ?It?s touching to see a guy like that with a big heart volunteering his time for this cause.?
A local bingo hall allowed RBYAN to canvass in the building one day and it produced a fantastic result.
?We went in there and collected $225 in pledges in 10 minutes,? said Carré. ?That shows how much the people of Rayside Balfour are willing to help out.?
RBYAN also challenged the business community to participate. The business that collects the most money will receive a plaque congratulating them on their generous support.
The Walk for a Cure event is just another way for the Rayside Balfour community to come together.
?Our community is tightly knit and the people are always ready to climb aboard with an event like this,? said
Carré. ?It gives everyone another opportunity to get to know their neighbours better.?
RBYAN has partnered with the Canadian Cancer Society, the Rayside Balfour Soccer Association and the Ontario National Boxing Centre to bring the event alive. The walk will take place at Chelmsford Valley District Composite School this Saturday, Aug. 16, at 11 am.
There will be an opening ceremony, games for kids, plenty of food, three live bands and a DJ.
RBYAN has already given out 80 pledge forms to their kids.
?An extra incentive for kids to participate will be 16 tickets to Canada?s Wonderland for the top 16 pledges for kids aged 11 to 17,? said Carré.
Other prizes include bikes for the top pledges from kids under the age of 11.
