Paddlers and dart players raised a combined $31,000 to support Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan, a summer camp for children with disabilities, last weekend.
Members of the Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club paddled 75 kilometres from Brentwood Bay to the Gorge Waterway to raise funds during the 32nd annual event on March 23.
Paddle for the Kids saw tired but happy club members paddling 12 hours in Voyageur canoes, bringing in close to $15,000 in pledges and donations.
Dart players from around the capital region raised $16,000 during a marathon 50-hour, non-stop session of games at the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans Club last weekend.
Next up on the calendar is the Money Mart Easter Seals 24-Hour Relay for the Kids, held at the University of Victoria’s Centennial Stadium June 22-23. This event is celebrating its 19th year in Victoria. To register a team or to volunteer, go to 24hourrelay.com.
For more information on the B.C. Lions Society for Children with Disabilities, which runs Easter Seals programs in B.C. and Yukon, and its programs, go to lionsbc.ca.
Auction all about volunteering
Volunteering with Benefits is a silent auction with a difference. Unlike typical auctions, attendees bid on prizes using volunteer hours rather than money. The highest bidder has up to the end of the year to “pay” for their item with volunteer hours at a local non-profit or volunteer organization of their choice.
The group behind the event is the young adult council of the United Way, called UnitedNow! They realized students and young adults want to get involved in their community in a meaningful way, but often don’t have the financial means to make donations.
Last year’s event attracted more than 100 young people and helped raise 1,360 volunteer hours.
The event features speakers as well as a number of booths from organizations offering volunteer opportunities.
Tickets are $15 at the door. The event runs 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the University Club of Victoria (formerly the Faculty Club) at the University of Victoria. For more information, go to uwgv.ca.
Speaking of volunteer opportunities, the organizers of Operation Trackshoes are looking for up to 350 volunteers to help in their annual weekend track, field and swim sports festival for people with developmental disabilities, which takes place June 14 to 16 this year.
Volunteers are needed to assist, support, and encourage competitors for the weekend. For every person who volunteers, two or more competitors will be able to participate in an event they look forward to all year long.
For many of these competitors, this is the only provincial sports festival they attend as a sports athlete. For some it is the highlight of the year, an opportunity for a weekend away from home, to meet old friends and make new ones.
As many as 600 competitors attend the event, which began in 1971. This year there has been a noticeable increase in registration. For safety and liability reasons, organizers will not accept a competitor’s registration until they are assured they have enough support in place. This makes the early recruitment of volunteers important.
For more information, go to the counsellor section at trackshoes.ca.
Fundraiser to aid premature babies
The Victoria Hospitals Foundation and the Sandra Schmirler Foundation are calling on the community to help raise $120,000 to purchase three or more incubators for the Neonatal Intensive Care unit at the Victoria General Hospital.
This fundraising drive will include a radiothon on Friday during the Ford World Men’s Curling Championship.
The Sandra Schmirler Foundation has already pledged $60,000. The community is asked to help match this gift and give premature and critically ill babies a strong start to life.
More than 90 per cent of sick and injured children on the Island are treated at the hospital, Vancouver Island’s pediatric specialty hospital.
The radiothon runs between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday at the Hotel Grand Pacific, 463 Belleville St.
It can be heard on 91.3 The Zone or 100.3 The Q.
People can also donate by phone, 250-519-1750, or online.
For more information, go to victoriahf.ca.
Maritime museum seeks nominees
The Maritime Museum of British Columbia is inviting nominations from the public for the 2013 SS Beaver Medal for Maritime Excellence, an award that recognizes outstanding contributions to the marine sector.
The Museum encourages nominations of anyone who has contributed to British Columbia’s marine environment. Nominees can come from the fields of science, technology, business or academics, or be someone who has contributed to maritime skills or nautical heritage and culture.
The gold-plated medals are struck from copper salvaged from the 19th century paddle-wheel steamship SS Beaver, built in England in 1835 for the Hudson’s Bay Company. This is the second year for the award.
The nominations close on May 15. For more information, go to mmbc.bc.ca.
