The Abkhazi Garden, home to large Garry oaks, Japanese maples, ponds and a teahouse, is the site of an art show fundraiser starting Monday, Sept. 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Paintings and sketches inspired by the garden have been created by 15 local artists, with proceeds to be divided between the artists and The Land Conservancy — which purchased the Gonzales-area site in 2000 to keep it from being developed.
Artists will be in attendance and their work will be displayed outside, weather permitting, with entrance by donation.
The first such art show at Abkhazi Garden was held in 2021.
From Sept. 6 through Oct. 10, the art will be set up in the site’s teahouse, save for closures Oct. 3 and 4.
Coming up Sept. 11 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. is Grandparents Day, as well as a plant sale from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Those coming for the sale are invited to stay and walk around the garden.
Proceeds go to maintenance at the site.
Abkhazi Garden is the creation of the late Prince and Princess Abkhazi, who started work on it in 1946. They maintained their one-acre property all through their lives, and referred to the garden as “their child.”
The garden is at 1964 Fairfield Rd.
Comox Valley pair walking from Canterbury to Rome
Two Comox Valley woman have started a walk of over 2,000 kilometres from the English city of Canterbury to Rome, with a goal of raising $1 million for Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres.
The international organization is active in over 70 countries, giving emergency medical support to people in crisis situations.
Kim Letson and Pat Gould, both experienced walkers, set out Wednesday and hope to complete their trek by late November.
“It used to be easy to get ready for our walks,” said Gould. “But now we’re just shy of 70, the training is harder.”
The added incentive of raising funds will keep them going on tough days, Letson said.
Gould is a retired public-health nurse who first worked with Doctors Without Borders in 2005 as an outreach nurse in Liberia. She took part on three more projects after her retirement in 2009.
She has previously completed a number of long-distance walks, many of them with Letson.
Letson moved to the Comox Valley after she and her husband retired from careers in the Canadian Forces. The two became professional ski patrollers and also owned a kayak guiding company.
Since her husband’s death in 2007, she has has often walked with Gould, whom she has known since 1996.
This will be the pair’s second journey for Doctors Without Borders. In 2016 they walked across the Balkans on the Via Egnatia, an ancient Roman road. Support from friends and family helped them raise several thousand dollars.
“This time we want to reach a much wider donation audience,” said Letson, adding: “Go big or go home” with a laugh.
The friends have also completed walks on the Portuguese Camino, the Pilgrims’ Way in England and the Cornish Coastal Path.
They figure each will take three million steps with their latest venture.
“That kind of effort — six million combined steps — that’s worth a million dollars, don’t you think?” Letson asked.
Their route is based on the one taken by the Archbishop of Canterbury when he went to Rome for an audience with the pope in 990.
Donations can be made through CanadaHelps.
Firefighters renew pledge for VGH pediatric equipment
The Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria Community Foundation has renewed its 10-year commitment to fund medical equipment for pediatric and neonatal care at Victoria General Hospital.
The first installment of $25,000 to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation came this summer, complete with a hospital visit by fire trucks from a number of departments. The donation is part of a plan to contribute $250,000 over the next decade.
A similar 10-year commitment was completed last year.
Saanich, Oak Bay, Victoria and Esquimalt all sent vehicles to mark the most recent donation.
Taylor Britton of the Saanich Firefighters Charitable Foundation said it was rewarding to meet with health-care workers and children who benefit from the money raised.
“It is a true reminder of how lucky we are to have excellent health care so close to home and why these donations are so important,” he said. “This pledge would not be possible without the members of our communities.
“Your continued support through local fundraising events and initiatives directly contributes to the everyday care of the children who need it most.”
The professional firefighters group has donated $275,000 since 2011 toward lifesaving equipment such as a pediatric cardiac ultrasound system and a pediatric ventilator. This year’s donation will help fund a portable cardiac ultrasound machine in support of the Victoria Hospitals Foundation’s ongoing Emerge Stronger Campaign..
The machine diagnoses and monitors congenital heart defects, which are seen in 1 of every 100 babies born.
Emma Carrick, manager of pediatrics and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for Island Health, said support from people like the firefighters means that 98 per cent of pediatric cases on Vancouver Island can be treated at VGH — the Island’s referral centre for maternity and pediatric cases.
The machine to be purchased with help from the firefighters’ most recent donation will speed up monitoring and diagnosis for children and babies, she said.
Victoria Hospitals Foundation chief executive Avery Brohman said the firefighters’ efforts are not only an example of their generosity but their “compassion and devotion to the youngest members of our community who rely on this very hospital to get well and go home to their families.”
Donors like the firefighters fund 80 per cent of the equipment in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and 60 per cent of the equipment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, she said.
Donations to the Emerge Stronger Campaign van be made at victoriahf.ca/stronger or 250-519-1750.
Alzheimer Society of B.C. launches education sessions
The Alzheimer Society of B.C., which provides Greater Victoria residents affected by dementia with information through its webinars and workshops, began education sessions this week focused on dementia and end-of-life care.
End-of-life care for those affected by dementia can be a tough issue for families to deal with, the society says.
“Not only is the [webinar] information helpful from the education perspective, but it also provides an opportunity for families to engage in an honest conversation and find a starting point for planning,” said the society’s Laurie DeCroos.
Register for the free education sessions at alzbc.org/end-of-life.
A dementia helpline is available at 1-800-936-6033. It is in operation Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with support also available in Punjabi (1-833-674-5003), Cantonese or Mandarin (1-833-674-5007) from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
About 25 per cent of Canadian adults over 85 are diagnosed with dementia.
