Local Business Owner Garners Support From Community After Break In

Treasures and Memories, a custom engraving business in Brookdale Plaza, was broken into on Saturday though encouragement from the community is helping the business to recover.

Photo courtesy of Treasures and Memories.

“When we received the call from Peterborough Police in the early morning hours, I was panicked.,” said Barb Smith, owner. “When we arrived and saw the amount of destruction and damages, I was completely overwhelmed and a feeling of bleak, desperate defeat came over me.”

Smith opened the shop in late 2019 right before the pandemic hit. Like other business owners she has been struggling to navigate the changing restrictions, though with perseverance she has been able to grow her business.

When the thief broke in they smashed the main window, and merchandise in the store causing about $2,500 in damage that will not be covered by insurance.

“As the day wore on, sitting in the freezing cold, waiting for the window to be replaced, I was ready to give up, call it quits,” said Smith. “Then I started receiving calls from concerned customers. They lifted me up and encouraged me to persevere.”

Smith started a GoFundMe in hopes to recover from this loss.

“It is the wonderful customers we have and the support of our beautiful community that is making it easier to persevere, regroup and carry on,” she said. “The community we live and work in, is overall, very supportive and this is what will allow us to pick ourselves up, dust everything off and be the successful business I know we can be.”

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Carl Oake Rotary Swim To Make A Splash In February

The Rotary Club of Peterborough and Century 21 United Realty Inc. are teaming up again to present 36th Annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim on Feb 25. at the YMCA.

Firefighter sprays participants at the Carl Oake Rotary Splash Challenge. File Photo.

To date, the Carl Oake Rotary Swim has raised over 1 million dollars for Easter Seals and Rotary Projects.

In September 2021 the Carl Oake Rotary Splash Challenge raised over $45,000 for Easter Seals and The Rotary Club of Peterborough.

The swimathon is about fun and welcomes professional swimmers and those there for fun.

Teams or individuals can sign up to participate and start raising funds for The Rotary Club of Peterborough and Easter Seals by going to www.CarlOakeRotarySwim.com

Those interested in participating can join the event at the YMCA at 7 a.m on Feb. 25 or participate at home virtually.

Organizers are monitoring COVID-19 restrictions and hope that this event can go forward as planned.

Updates will be posted to the events Facebook page.

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Dr. J's Is Hosting Gift Wrapping Weekend And Raising Funds For Mental Health

Dr. J’s BBQ and Brews will be offering gift wrapping from Friday to Sunday to support Tackle 55 Suicide Awareness and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

“All the funds will go to the Canadian Mental Health Association in memory of Dan Bois, who was one of my best friends,” said owner Addison Brown. “Unfortunately he struggled with mental illness, and he couldn’t fight it.”

Those interested in participating can bring any and all Christmas gifts to Dr. J’s (282 Aylmer St N) and donate a minimum of $20. 100 per cent of the proceeds will be donated.

This is the second fundraiser Dr. J’s will host this holiday season. On Dec. 5 Santa Claus paid a visit to the restaurant, and for $5 guests could take their photo with him.

Proceeds from that event were donated to Kawartha Food Share.

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Operation Catnip Peterborough Is Hosting An Online Raffle To Fund 2022 Operations

Operation Catnip Peterborough is hosting an online raffle on their Facebook page to raise money for future vet bills and to fund their spay/neuter program.

Operation Catnip is an organization of volunteers that use the ‘trap, neuter, release’ method. They catch stray or feral cats, spay or neuter them and then either find the cat a home or release it back into the wild.

To date the organization has helped over 1700 cats in 380+ colonies.

Only 200 tickets will be sold, and the raffle will occur when all are gone. Tickets are $10 per ticket, or 3 tickets for $25.

They can be purchased by sending an E-transfer to opcatptbo@gmail.com.

Prizes include giftcards to local shops like Juniper, The Food Forest Café, and ‘76 Sips Cafe. There are also items like Petes tickets, christmas gift baskets and candles.

Operation Catnip is also selling mugs with their logo, designed by volunteer and graphic designer Kim Russell, for $20.

Mugs, and more information about the raffle, are available on Operation Catnip’s Facebook page.

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Your Metres Matter Fundraising Campaign Raises Over $10,000 In The First Week To Help Revitalize The Jackson Creek Trail

In just over one week since launching the Your Metres Matter fundraising campaign, the community has raised $10,600 to help revitalize the Jackson Creek Trail in the heart of Peterborough.

The Your Metres Matter campaign is raising funds to resurface and repair points of erosion on the Jackson Creek Trail so that it continues to be accessible and safe for all trail users. Each $50 donation helps to revitalize one metre of trail.

“More than ever, people are accessing trails to get exercise, boost their mental health, relieve stress, and spend quality time with family,” said Dan Marinigh, CAO at Otonabee Conservation, “During the pandemic, the trail is seeing an increase in use as many residents seek the calm of nature nearby, and have taken up hobbies like birdwatching, hiking, dog walking, biking, and cross-country skiing. The trail is in need of repairs to restore its longevity.”

The Your Metres Matter Community Challenge also launched last week; it encourages groups to raise funds and challenge each other in a friendly community competition.

So far, Runner’s Life, Peterborough Nordic Club, Wild Rock Outfitters, and the board and staff at Otonabee Conservation have taken the challenge, already collectively helping to raise $6,500 for the campaign, which translates to 130 metres of trail.

“We are so grateful for the support we are receiving, and especially from the groups and community members who regularly utilize the trail,” said Marinigh. “The response we are having with this friendly community competition unites us with a common goal to care for and revitalize a trail we all love.”

Each $50+ donation to the Your Metres Matter campaign will receive a charitable tax receipt, photo card, sticker, and a commemorative Jackson Creek Trail badge to wear proudly while visiting the trail. A donation of $500+ dollars (or 10+ metres of trail) will be recognized on a new trailhead sign to be placed along the Trail.

“While we have raised $10,600 in just over one week of the campaign, we still have a ways to go,” said Marinigh, “As of December 8, we have raised enough to repair 211 metres of trail; the Jackson Creek Trail is 4,500 metres long so we encourage more groups to join our Community Challenge and more trail enthusiasts to consider a donation or a gift to the trail lover on their holiday list this year.”

To make a donation, track progress of the campaign, learn more about the Your Metres Matter campaign or the Community Challenge visit otonabeeconservation.com.

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YMCA Launches First Ever Online 50/50 Draw This Month

With the cancellation of special events and in-person fundraisers, the YMCA of Central East Ontario is launching an online 50/50 draw.

Stock Photo

All funds raised stay local and support the YMCA Strong Communities Campaign, focused on raising much needed resources to improve and enrich the lives of thousands of children, adults, seniors and families.

Tickets are available online at ymcaceo5050.ca with the Early Bird $500 Prize draw taking place on Thursday and final draw on Dec. 30.

Tickets start at just $10 for 10, $20 for 40 and for the best value $50 for 200.

Money raised will go towards:

• Helping a child learn to swim

• Helping a teen to learn to lead and feel success

• Enabling a family to use a trusted, quality child care

• Helping an adult feel a sense of belonging

• Providing low-income individuals access to health and wellness programs

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Opioid Response Hub Reaches Fundraising Goal of $160,000 For Renovations

The community came through for Fourcast and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough as they reached their Light the Way campaign goal of $160,000 for renovations of their opioid response hub announced on Tuesday.

(left to right) Ron Black, Forecast vice chair; Kerri Kightley, program manager and Jennifer DeBues, Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough executive director

The campaign was funded from community donations that launched on Sept. 15. The hub is located at the former Greyhound Bus Station at 220 Simcoe St.

“In just a few months, we received over one hundred donations from individuals, half a dozen from local businesses, a few from churches and professional associations, a grant from the City of Peterborough, plus contributions from four endowed funds held at the Community Foundation,” said Jennifer DeBues, Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough executive director. “The campaign to Light the Way to $160K really has been a community effort and I am grateful to everyone who has contributed.”

The hub’s renovations will better prepare the space to provide the wraparound health services and supports offered by Fourcast along with partner organizations according to Fourcast. This includes PARN, the 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (NPLC), Peterborough County Paramedics and the Mobile Support Overdose Resource Team (MSORT).

“Fourcast acknowledges the success of the Light The Way fundraising campaign as an overwhelming outpouring of support from a compassionate community that wants to mobilize all efforts to end the loss of life associated with opiate poisonings,” says Donna Rogers, Fourcast executive director. “We have a space that is turnkey for the operation of a CTS, and we await a long-overdue response to our application.”

The hub is expecting to open in January as it waits to pass inspections before construction within the month. Fundraising efforts will continue until it is officially open. The extra money will be used to fund several hub programs and a drive-thru window according to Kerri Kightley, program manager.

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Over $6 Million Raised For More Housing At The Mount Community Centre

After a concerted effort from the community, The Mount Community Centre has raised $6,272,755 towards building more affordable housing units announced on Sunday.

Photo Courtesy of The Mount Community Centre.

The money was raised through their Building Opportunity Campaign that was seeking a goal of $4 million for the 10-acre property. All of the funding was done through the volunteers.

Beavermead Construction was the company tasked to do the building however over 200 volunteers have done the painting, furnishing and landscaping.

Since August, 63 housing units have already been developed since 2013.

The units already contain several amenities such as a food centre, office space, public venue space and the Fulcrum Café.

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Trent University Raises over $172,000 on Giving Tuesday

Trent University surpassed their fundraising goal on Giving Tuesday, raising over $172,000 to support student-focused programming and projects at the University on Nov. 30.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

“Through generous gifts, alumni, staff, faculty, and the broader community underscored Trent’s important role in transforming the educational experience and building a strong foundation for the next generation of leaders,” said Sherry Booth, associate vice-president, Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement. “The overwhelming response is validation that the Trent community is committed to supporting the student experience. On behalf of all Trent students, I extend my sincere thanks to everyone who chose Trent on Giving Tuesday.”

Giving Tuesday donors were able to choose an area of interest, supporting programs and projects run through Trent’s colleges, Trent Athletics, Trent Durham GTA, and various academic programs.

Highlights from Trent's historic and record-setting #GivingTuesdayCA included a donation from Anne-Marie Prendiville ‘69 and John Gillies for the Lady Eaton College Music Room, a gift from professor emeritus Dr. Harry Kitchen in support of his student assistance fund, and a matching donation to Catharine Parr Traill College from Barbara Finlayson-Pitts ‘66.

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Mombassadors Partner With GPHSF to Raise Funds For Youth Mental Health

GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation, announced on Wednesday that they have partnered with the fundraising group the Mombassadors, with a joint goal of raising $100,000 for youth mental health programming provided by Peterborough Youth Services.

File photos.

Their first fundraiser will be an online Christmas auction that will run Dec. 8 through to Dec. 14.

The auction will feature toy bundles, gift cards, art pieces, lifestyle products and more thanks to many local businesses and Mombassador supporters.

“We are so excited to be working with GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation to support youth mental health in our community,” said Erin Marshall, Mombassadors. “GPHSF has a long history of supporting mental health programming in the community and together we are working to increase capacity and decrease wait times for children accessing mental health programming at Peterborough Youth Services. We know this pandemic has hit many children very hard and we want to ensure they have timely access to mental health programming and counselling.”

All funds raised from the Mombassadors’ Christmas auction will go directly to Peterborough Youth Services.

PYS are a non-profit social service agency that has been providing counselling and support to youth and their families locally for over forty years. With additional activities planned for the coming months from the Mombassadors and GPSHF, a goal of $100,000 will mean decreasing wait times and increasing capacity with PYS mental health programming.

“The Mombassadors are a powerhouse of passionate women dedicated to improving life for residents of our community and it is an honour to be their charitable partner,” said Laura Kennedy, Executive Director, GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation. “Youth Mental Health programming has been an area we have been funding for a number of years and we are excited to be setting a goal of $100,000 to raise with the Mombassadors.”

GPHSF, Your Family Health Team Foundation, works to enable the Peterborough community to improve and increase their control over health, by funding initiatives that broaden equity and access to healthcare. As a non-profit Foundation their vision is to fund and support programs that positively impact the social determinants of health.

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