Kindness Of Stranger Allows Autistic Boy To Ride A Bike Again

Kate and Jason Wells have given PTBOCanada readers a window of what it's like to have an autistic son in a previous post from last year. There are difficult moments on a daily basis, but there are also joyous moments. Like this for example involving Aidan getting a 3-wheel bike. As Kate writes in a Facebook post, "The kindness of people is astounding. This bike (see pictures below) was given to Aidan after they no longer could use it. He used to love riding his bike, but required training wheels which he outgrew a few years ago. He hasn't been on a bike since—something he used to love to do. Because of her generosity, he is able to ride again. Tears of happiness as we watched him go!!!"  Watch him go below...

Aidan with his father Jason

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

City In Need: Check Out This Kawartha Food Share Fact Sheet

Kawartha Food Share distributes food to 37 local agencies that run food banks, food cupboards and meal programs. Here's some stats from 2013 they provided to us—many alarming—about the number of people in need in the community:

• 48 schools access Kawartha Food Share to help with their breakfast clubs and meal programs. In the month of March 2013, more than 158,000 meals were served in Peterborough area schools. 17,000 children are fed daily.
• In 2013, Kawartha Food Share distributed over $10 million dollars worth of food.
• Currently, 7,728 people are using food banks every month in the City and County of Peterborough—a number which increases to 11,244 when reflecting multiple visits.
• Food bank use has increased by 35% over the past 5 years.
• 41% of local food bank users are under the age of 18.
• In the month of March alone, 300 people visited a food bank for the very first time.
• 24% of food bank users are a mix of post-secondary students, pensioners and the working poor, many of which are only able to find part-time work in this community.
• Kawartha Food Share’s volunteers work the equivalent number of hours as 10 full-time paid staff positions.

[Kawartha Food Share]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

DBIA Featured Post: Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF)

If you live in or around Peterborough and have a pulse, then surely you have dealt with some part of our cities great healthcare team at some time or another. Behind every great team is a great coach and management, which is exactly what the Greater Peterborough Health Services Foundation (GPHSF) can be considered. Located at 150 King St, the foundation formerly known as the St. Joseph’s Care Foundation has been an integral part of our community for almost 30 years now.

In a nutshell, the foundation is a major fundraiser for healthcare equipment, education, research and innovative programs that help the community’s health care team give its patients the best treatment possible.

The foundation consists of a team of tireless workers, including Executive director Hannah Routly, Fundraising and Communications Coordinator Carol Lawless, Board Chair Laura Boden, and physician lead ambassador Dr. Don Harterre to name just a few. On top of these positions are a long list of tremendous volunteers who aid in improving the community based health care system that the GPHSF aims to put forth.

Along with its fundraising efforts, the GPHSF also works behind the scenes in our community in creating and fostering a team like atmosphere with every branch of healthcare. From nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and mental health clinicians, to medical secretaries, dieticians, and family physicians, they help combine the expertise of a team working together to provide you with the right care, when you need it, same day or at a time convenient to you.

This overall team effort has been helping to make things better in our community for years now and the GPHSF is actually the first foundation in Canada to support such a family health care team.

One of the GPHSF's major events held yearly is the Peterborough Speaker Series. This year's event, titled Fire Starters, is taking place on April 16th at Market Hall. Previously the GPHSF has also been a part of the Festival of Trees and the Freedom 55 Financial charity golf tournament.

A few of the initiatives and items that the GPHSF has been a major part in assisting with are the incredible Partners in Pregnancy clinic, which works with many women in our community going through various phases of pregnancy. They have also recently raised money to purchase ophthalmology equipment, 17 automated external defibrillators, 40 pulse oximeters, and 20 patient transport chairs that are all located across the city helping our healthcare team put forth the greatest care possible.

For more information on GPHSF, and to find out about volunteer opportunities, go to:
Website: Gphsf.ca
Twitter: @Gphsf
Facebook: Gphsf
Phone: 705.740.8074

For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.

—By Aaron Elliott

PTBOCanada Pics: Clara Hughes Comes To Peterborough For #ClarasBigRide

The amazing and inspiring Clara Hughes—who Christie Blatchford calls "this generation’s Terry Fox"—arrived in Peterborough Saturday (March 22nd) as part of her 12,000 kilometre Clara's Big Ride journey to raise awareness about mental health and erase the stigma associated with mental illness. Clara, who was won multiple Olympic medals in cycles and speed skating, has herself battled depression for years. Her 110 day bicycle ride will take her to 95 communities across Canada. She spoke highly of Peterborough and its attention given to mental health initiatives. She wants this ride across the country to be epic and called it "Canada's Big Ride". Props to the local Canadian Mental Health Association chapter for bringing Clara to Peterborough. Here's pictures from her day in town...

[picture via Liz Shaughnessy]

Clara with her support riders, including her husband, Peter Guzman. [picture via Liz Shaughnessy]

[picture via Liz Shaughnessy]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

The 4th Annual Peterborough Speakers Series Is Themed "Fire Starters"

The 2014 Peterborough Speakers Series is themed "Fire Starters" and features dynamic speakers such as playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, photographer Michael Hurcomb, lawyer Julie Kirkpatrick and more. The event is MC-ed by Stuart Harrison and takes place April 16th at Market Hall. For more info on the event, go to gphsf.ca. More deets in poster below.

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Sign Up Now For 2014 YWCA Walk A Mile In Her Shoes

The 2014 YWCA Walk A Mile In Her Shoes event takes place Friday, May 30th, starting at noon at Peterborough City Hall. You can register here for the event, or sponsor a walker or team here.

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Enter A Team In Peterborough's Dragon Boat Festival!

As one of the community’s most important fundraising events, Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival—which PTBOCanada.com is a proud sponsor of this year—has announced their 2014 goal to raise $200,000 to support the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC)’s mammography program, with new reporting workstations for radiologists and new breast viewing software. This year's Festival will be held on Saturday, June 14th.
 
To help reach this year’s fundraising target, the Festival wants to attract 80 community teams to compete in a number of divisions and categories. There are several new features for the 2014 Festival, including an expanded Junior Division for high school paddlers between the ages of 14-18; and a new bonus 250m Sprint Race for the first eight teams to raise $2,000 in pledges.

Registration for the 2014 Festival is now open. Community team captains can register their team online. An early bird registration rate is available until March 11, 2014, and the registration deadline is April 14th. All materials and packages, including registration details, are available at the Festival’s new website.

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

The Amazing Camp That Gives Hope To Those Who Have Lost Loved Ones

Peterborough's Shelley Hermer is Ontario Program Coordinator for Camp Kerry Society. Here, she gives us an insider look at the impact of Camp Kerry retreats in British Columbia—which use a holistic approach to bereavement care where emphasis is placed on healing both within and between families—and writes about the first Camp Kerry Ontario being established.

Camp Kerry offers family retreats and year-round support programs for children, youth and parents who are grieving the death of a loved one. The camp is named after British Columbian Kerry Kirstiuk, an inspiring mother of two young children, who lost her battle to colon cancer in 2006. Designed and overseen by family bereavement expert Dr. Heather Mohan, Camp Kerry began in 2007 as a pilot project after Kerry's husband Bob requested that donations in her memory be given to Dr. Mohan's program at Lions' Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. 

Shelley Hermer (above left) at Camp Kerry in BC

Dr. Mohan's response was immediate, fulfilling a long-standing dream to run a family bereavement camp. Since then, more than 150 families in British Columbia have benefited from these specialized services. In 2011, Camp Kerry officially separated from Lions Gate Hospital and was incorporated as an independent Canadian charity.

In 2011, I traveled to BC to volunteer at Camp Kerry and since then have been working towards bringing this exceptional and unique program to Ontario. With the approval of the Camp Kerry Society Board of Directors, we have set a goal to bring 10 Ontario families to the first Camp Kerry Ontario retreat in October 2014, held in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands.

Camp Kerry retreat in BC.

Parents often describe their biggest worry is that they—and their children—won’t recover from the loss of their loved one. They talk about the balance of needing to keep old memories alive and creating new ones. Children and parents convey their desire to see their family enjoy life.

Camp Kerry retreat in BC.

At the retreats, so much happens for families. Yes, there are tears—the Saturday evening memory service and Sunday afternoon message balloon release allow families the chance to openly remember their loved ones. Parents and children participate in groups led by professional therapists, providing opportunities to share and receive peer support. Key to the model is the therapeutic use of art, music and adventure challenges in a natural setting. In the words of one parent, "we experienced what we never thought possible."

Camp Kerry retreat in BC.

Fundraising and events to help raise awareness about this Camp Kerry Ontario retreat are in the works, involving support from and collaboration with Peterborough and area community organizations. If you would like to be part of the first Camp Kerry Ontario—either by offering financial support, assisting at events, volunteering your time, or if you simply would like more information—please contact me at shelley@campkerry.org.

—By Shelley Hermer

Here's some more pictures below from Camp Kerry in BC, as well as a YouTube video about the camp...

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

YMCA Half Marathon 5k & Kids 1k Fun Run Is This Sunday

This is the YMCA's 36th Annual race in Peterborough. It's their biggest fundraiser of the year, with proceeds going to YMCA Strong Kids.

Old school pic from first race in 1978.

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Spirit Of Play February 16th At Sport And Wellness Centre To Bring Play & Laughter To Kids In Haiti

There is a special "family play day" this Sunday (February 16th) at Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre to raise money to bring play and laughter to kids in Haiti. Activities will be coordinated by kids health expert David Kittner. See the poster below for more info.

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.