Southern Frontenac Community Services has been serving South Frontenac and rural Kingston for three decades, and in July 2020 the organization will be celebrating thirty years as a charity. The Board of Directors is looking for volunteers who are interested and able to commit to helping plan special events up to and including the big day, July 4, 2020.

“We know that many people have been positively impacted by the services provided through SFCSC over the years,” says Executive Director, David Townsend, “and we’d really like to hear from them as we plan for the year ahead.”

SFCSC is looking not only for folks who have been touched by their programs, but also for those who have skills they are willing to share to enhance the events. “If you have marketing acumen, design skills, or special event expertise, we’d be delighted for your support,” adds Townsend.

Interested volunteers are asked to review a Terms of Reference for the committee that are posted on the organization’s website at sfcsc.ca under the “Get Involved” tab. Directions for submitting an Expression of Interest are also on that page.

Volunteers are asked to submit a maximum 500-word letter as an Expression of Interest to sit on the planning committee, no later than Friday, August 16, 2019. In the letter, applicants are asked to suggest one idea they have to recognize the anniversary, and describe their skills and interest.

Applicants will be notified by the end of August, and will meet in September

New Leaf Link (NeLL) was pleasantly surprised and honoured to be selected as the recipient of $8200 raised by the Jerry Irwin Charity Golf tournament held in Verona on June 8th.

Each year, the Irwin family from Sydenham remembers Jerry Irwin by holding a golf tournament at Rivendell. Jerry was a community-oriented person who believed in helping children through sports. He was a man of few words, but he commanded respect by acting on the motto “everyone can play” in his extensive volunteer coaching life. Jerry was a life-time member at Rivendell who started the Wednesday Afternoon Men’s League. He was also instrumental in establishing the North Frontenac Flyers team.

MacKenzie and Chris Irwin spearhead the golf tournament with Chris’ mother, Valerie Irwin, and many other relatives—e.g., cousin Jim Ferguson and brother Shawn who attended the cheque presentation ceremony at the Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church. All the members of the Irwin clan told us that keeping the fundraising dollars local was important to them as it would have been to Jerry: “We like NeLL because it helps people here in this community.”

Jerry’s “everyone can play” motto is in keeping with NeLL’s mandate to provide opportunities to people who need assistance as social participants. Family members and NeLL participants gathered to meet the Irwins and to thank them for their generosity. NeLL has been operating in South Frontenac since 2009 with “go local” values in its cooking, arts, fitness programs, and community outings. Chris Irwin stated: “we loved the fact that [NeLL] was local” and that “this place [the Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church] is up the road from where we grew up.”

2019 marks the beginning of 45-weeks per year of a Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday program for NeLL participants who reside in South Frontenac, Central Frontenac, and Kingston. And for the first time in its 11 years, NeLL is open in summer. High school students are welcome to join NeLL’s regular participants in the summer term of cooking, drama, art, music, dance, puppets, martial arts, and soap-making from the fully accessible Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church.

The Irwin family’s generous gift helps the NeLL family this summer and fall to pay for supplies for arts programs, food for the cooking classes, local instructors, and transportation to places of interest such as the Happy Tails Sanctuary, the Penitentiary Museum, the Agnes Etherington Art Gallery, or the Fish Hatchery in Sharbot Lake.

For more information please visit www.newleaflink.ca , or follow us on Facebook. Our new logo is from a collective printmaking activity with local artist Gabriel Deerman.

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The 17th annual Pine Meadow Charity Golf Tournament took place on June 22nd at Hunter's Creek Golf Course on Hwy. 506 near Cloyne. As in previous years, this year's tournament was generously sponsored by numerous businesses and community members, raising over $20,000. These funds are used for a variety of items at Pine Meadow which cannot be included in their regular budget and which enhance the lives of the residents at the nursing home.

Funds raised this year will be used to subsidize the monthly excursions planned for the residents and to purchase additional adjustable dining room tables, four new wing chairs for the activity room, heel lifts, wheelchair positioning rolls and outdoor storage sheds.

65 golfers participated in the tournament on a sunny, breezy day at Hunter's Creek Golf Course. The first raffle prize was a beautiful quilt pieced and hand quilted by Treadles Quilters and valued at $1500. The quilt was won by Michelle Burgess. The second prize was a concrete firepit donated by Tuscany Concrete and valued at $1000, which was won by E. Hughes. The two winning tickets were drawn by Gladys Berry and Lillian Greene, residents at Pine Meadow Nursing Home.

There was also a 50/50 draw with a prize of $155, won by Austin South. The blue tooth speaker, donated by Dominic Vetere of Dom's Auto Parts was won by Rick Guthrie.

The members of the first-place team at the tournament (pictured) were Karen Stacey, Marilyn Lambert, Dawn Brown, Don Fobert and Greg Wise. This team donated $150 of their winnings back to the charity. Second place was won by the team of Brad Low, Eric Cockborn, Zach Giddings and Barry Bolahood.

The men's closest to the pin was won by Chris Stapley and the women's closest to the pin was won by Sandy Miller. The men's longest drive was won by Justin Day and the women's longest drive was also won by Sandy Miller, who donated all her prize money back to the Special Needs fund.

The raffle sales brought in close to $4000 and tournament organisers are especially grateful to the many ticket sellers, who gave of their time and enthusiasm. Special thanks to Cynthia Kennedy and Patrick Bassett, the new owners of Hunter's Creek, and their excellent staff for all their hard work in support of the Pine Meadow Golf Classic.

Tickets for the annual Pine Meadow Special Needs Fund raffle are now on sale at various locations. The proceeds from the raffle sales go towards monthly excursions for the residents at Pine Meadow Nursing Home in Northbrook. This year, the prizes are a beautiful quilt, funded and constructed by the Treadles Quilting Group and a concrete fire pit designed by Tuscany Concrete. Tickets are $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00 and will be sold until the date of this year's Pine Meadow Charity golf tournament on June 22nd. The draw will be held at Pine Meadow that afternoon and will be announced at the tournament at Hunter's Creek. There will only be 2,500 tickets printed so they may not be available for that long. They are available at Bishop Lake, Nowell Motors and at Pine Meadow and will be sold by volunteers at local grocery stores over the next month.

The Special Needs Committee also organizes the annual Pine Meadow Charity Golf Classic at Hunter's Creek golf course. It is the biggest fundraiser that they undertake. Last year, this event raised over $20,000. Tickets for the golf tournament, which include a BBQ lunch and green fees, are a reasonable $55 per person, and are available through Eleanor Nowell at Nowell Motors in Cloyne. Call 613 336 2547 for information.

The funds raised through the raffle and the tournament owe a great deal of their success to the support of the small business community and to families in the surrounding region. The tournament has 80 to 100 sponsors annually and new sponsors are included each year. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please call Laury Hitchcock at 613 336 2394 or Esther Demczak at 613 336 2751.

Over its 16-year history, the tournament has raised thousands of dollars which is all directed towards extras that are not covered in Pine Meadow's funding. The home is a community owned, not for profit enterprise, under the umbrella of Land O' Lakes Community Services. This year, the funds will be used for additional adjustable dining tables, wing chairs for the activity room, heel supports, wheelchair positioning rolls and outdoor storage sheds, as well as all of the monthly outings.

Doug Kennedy did not know about the 7 Days in May fundraiser for Pancreatic Cancer Canada, but he knows all about cycling on Easter Ontario Roadways.

Kennedy operates his business, Frontenac Docks, out of his home on Oak Flats Road near the Frontenac Community Arena. He is an avid cyclist who has seen his share of danger and disdain from motorised vehicles over the years while cycling on small and larger roads in Frontenac, L&A and beyond.

The 7 Days in May fundraiser is pretty extreme as charitable events go. Participants who commit to the entire 7 days cycle around Lake Ontario, starting and ending the ride in Mississauga. The average ride per day is an ‘imperial century’ 100 miles (160km)

“The level of effort involved in a one-hundred-mile cycle is roughly equivalent to running a marathon. So doing the whole ride is like running a marathon each day for seven consecutive days,” said Doug Kennedy, when interviewed at his home/shop last week.

Kennedy heard about the ride the way many others in the region did. Last May 27, on the second day of the 7 days in May event, a number of cyclists were helping one their party who had suffered a crash and injury when passing over some road work on Bath Road in Amherstview.

A van had slowed down as it passed the cyclists and a car tried to speed by the van on the inside and hit several of the cyclists. Jeff Vervaike, 42, was seriously injured and later died in hospital.

“It really struck home with me. I cycle myself so I know what some drivers are like, and when I read that Jeff Vervaike was participating in a charitable rider raising money for Pancreatic Cancer research it really hit me.”

As a member of the Kingston cycling community. Kennedy learned about a memorial service for Jeff Vervaike that was being planned for July 13 of last year. The memorial service took place at a spot on Bath Road near where the accident had occurred. A ghost bike, painted white, was installed there as a permanent marker.

“Myself and my wife Eleanor participated in the ride and ceremony,” said Kennedy.

After the ceremony, the Kennedys went on a 90-kilometre ride with the 7 Days in May cyclists.

“I had the opportunity to meet these people. I was very moved by their dedication and knew I couldn’t be a bystander anymore. So, I decided to do the 2019 ride with them to raise money. Not everyone can put aside 7 days for the ride, and there are other options. May is my busy season, but I have decided to ride for two days, from Mississauga to Cobourg, and then Cobourg to Kingston,” he said.

On the weekend of May 25 and 26, Doug Kennedy will ride two imperial centuries as part of this year’s 7 Days in May. And he is encouraging all of his friends, neighbours, and all Frontenac County residents to help by sponsoring his ride.

“It doesn’t have to be much. If 200 people put in $20, that adds up,” he said.

The best way to help is to go to Pancreaticcancercanada.ca/7-days-in-may, click on donate, and choose Kennedy. To contact Doug Kennedy directly, email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The 4th annual Telus Ride For Dad raised about $8,000 for the fight against prostrate cancer Saturday at the Snow Road Snowmobile.

Awhile back, organizer Brandon Crain heard about a motorcycle Ride For Dad on the radio.

“I don’t have any personal connection to the fight against prostrate cancer, I just thought it would be a good thing to do,” he said. “It’s just a good reason to get out and ride.”

“He sucked me into it,” said co-organizer Shelby Knight.

The ride itself ran from the clubhouse, up to Wilbur, across to Dalhousie Lake, around through McDonalds Corners and back to the clubhouse for lunch.

“We were going to go to Lanark but there just isn’t enough snow on that part of the trail for this many machines,” Crain said. “You need at least two feet of snow and it didn’t have it.”

The run didn’t just include snowmobiles.

Although they couldn’t go on the trail in the their enclosed, heated 4x4, Bob Olmstead and Janet Rhyndress still managed to participate.

“We’ll ride the roads,” Olmstead said. “We’ve managed to get about $2,300 in pledges.”

Even those who didn’t get pledges managed to participate through the Slap-Down-a-$20 campaign.

If you’d still like to contribute, you can do so by calling Crain at 613-277-0092.

Last Saturday, Grandmothers by the Lake brought four local and very different music groups and one pianist together for a sold-out eclectic evening of music. The first performance was, appropriately, Log House Rhythms, a group of five playing powerful compelling West African based rhythms on Djembes and Dun Duns. Then Toute Ensemble, three well-known local flautists Anne Archer, Debbie Twiddy and Melanie Fyfe, played a broad range of chamber music. Carpe Musica came next: self described as an eccentric mix of three saxes, a trumpet, a trombone and a bass ukulele, they wound up their set with the New Orleans jazz classic “Just a Closer Walk”

During the breaks between sets, sixteen-year Noah Pedersen played the piano and sang, with a skill far beyond what one might expect from a person who first began piano two years ago.

Shout Sister, a 25-member women's choir was the closing act, with a wide range of popular songs. They are a group who get together for the joy of singing, and welcome new members at any time.

After the concert, audience and performers and performers met in the church hall for cookies and coffee.

The evening was a fundraiser by the “Grandmothers and Grandothers” who are committed to helping those in Africa who have been left to raise grandchildren orphaned by the HIV/AiDs pandemic. All of the performers donated their time.

Come on out and dance for a great cause! On Friday, November 17, the Guatemala Stove Project is hosting a fundraising dance featuring the talented local band, Under the Covers. This band will have you up on your feet and dancing all night.

This annual fundraiser will feature a silent auction of unique items crafted by local artisans or donated by local businesses.

The Guatemala Stove Project, a volunteer-based organization is continuing its efforts to raise funds for the construction of masonry cook stoves for impoverished, rural Mayan families. Over 6,400 stoves have been built so far, creating a lasting legacy for rural families in the western highlands of Guatemala. Consider that a single stove extends the lives of each family member in a household by 10 – 15 years and reduces the amount of firewood needed by half which helps to preserve the country’s precious forests.

The Guatemala Stove Project also supports sustainable-development projects in over a dozen communities and issues micro-loans to indigenous women to start small businesses that will help lift them out of poverty. The Guatemala Stove Project recognizes the importance of education in creating opportunity and hope for the future. It provides scholarships to a number of students who would otherwise not have this opportunity.

You’ve heard about the GSP and maybe you have even made a donation in the past. Now is the time to show your support for the indigenous people in Guatemala. Bring your dancing shoes to the Perth Civitan Club for this fantastic licensed fundraising event! Mark the date on your calendar and get your tickets! Tickets are $20 at Tickets Please in Perth, on-line at ticketsplease.ca, by phone at 613-485-6434 or at the door. Civitan Hall doors open at 7 p.m. Under the Covers starts playing at 8 p.m.

For more information, please call 613-267-5202 or Check us out at guatemalastoveproject.org

The ever resourceful Grandmothers by the Lake have put together African Heart Beat to raise money to combat the HIV/AID pandemic in Africa. The evening will include a performance by Log house Rhythms, a West African drum group whose call and response style always engages audience. The other performers are more familiar to local audiences. They include the fabulous flute trio, Toute Ensemble, the Carpe Musica Septet, and pianist Noah Pederson.

The finale will be memorable. A performance by the Kingston based, all women choir, Shout Sister. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door, or at Memory Lane Flowers in Sydenham or Food Less Travelled in Verona. The show runs from 7pm-9pm on Saturday, November 18.

For the ninth consecutive year, the Procter sisters, Theresa, Becki and Katie (Ansley) braved the waters of Sharbot Lake to raise funds for the fight against cancer last Saturday morning.
As always, they began at the docks in Sharbot Lake Provincial Park and swam the 3 kilometres to Oso Beach, this year in just about one hour and 35 minutes.
“It was rough this year, except between the islands, but we made good time, about average for us,” said Theresa. “This was a bit of a different year for us because Uncle Keith just passed away from cancer.

“That was more motivation.”
“It was quite a shock jumping in,” said Katie, who was a bit under the weather earlier that morning but trooped on nonetheless. “But once we got in we never thought about it again.”
Abbie, Katie’s daughter jumped in and joined them for the part between the islands where the water was calmer.

“The weather was threatening but luckily it held off long enough for us to get it in,” said Theresa. “The rain held off but there weren’t many boats on the lake and not much wildlife except for a few seagulls.”
The total raised this year was about $1,500 when they jumped in with another $200 at least yet to come. In the nine years, the girls have raised more than $13,500.
“This was one of our best years yet,” said Theresa.

You can still donate at convio.cancer.ca.

The girls plan to continue next year, especially because sister Katie is moving back home to Ontario.
“Next year is the big one, 10 years,” she said. “Maybe we’ll mix things up a bit.
“Maybe we’ll make it extra hard like by wearing clothes.”
“I don’t think so,” said Theresa.