Ninety-five golfers participated in this year’s Southern Frontenac Community Services’ annual Family & Friends Golf Tournament, where 24 teams took to the greens to enjoy 18 holes at Rivendell Golf Club in Verona. The event, now in its seventh year (the fourth consecutive at Rivendell), is the organization’s single biggest fundraiser of the year. This year’s tournament was organized by long-time SFCS driver volunteers, Dave Linton and Bill Hartwick, along with Jennifer Linton, a past board member and founder/current coordinator of the SFCS food bank. Although the weather on July 17 was a bit wet, that did not stop the participants from enjoying a fun and relaxing day on the greens, which concluded with a delicious ham 'n all the fixings supper, and prize presentations. No less than 26 local businesses sponsored the event, along with seven corporate sponsors, including RBC Sydenham and the Investors Group, both of whom offered hole-in-one prizes of $15,000 and $5,000 respectively, though neither was won at Friday's event.

Dave Linton said that the tournament is truly a “team effort” and that “the SFCS staff and volunteers really stepped up to the plate and helped to get the word out there”. Linton said he was pleased with the turn out and with the generous support received from sponsors and participants.

All tournament proceeds go toward supporting programs and services for seniors in South Frontenac and rural Kingston and Linton believes this is a big reason for the tournament being so successful. Services provided benefit not only seniors, but also their families and care givers. The Adult Day Program is a huge example of such a service. In fact, the Adult Day Seniors contributed to the golf tournament by placing items in gift bags - a meaningful task that saved the organizers hours of work. Each golfer received one of the gift bags.

As a social event, the annual tournament provides a venue where family and friends can take time out to share laughs and stories, and simply enjoy each other's company, and the day. Linton said that organizers have always gauged the degree of enjoyment by participants according to the degree of noise generated, and at the end of the tournament, the noise generated in the banquet room was deafening... truly a bonus reward for the organizers.

Do you have health issues that are affecting the way you live?

Gain information and skills to better manage your chronic condition and live healthier. This free, six-week workshop helps people to actively achieve their best health and wellness while managing one or more ongoing conditions like arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, kidney disease, depression, lung disease, and others. You can learn: how to deal with the emotional, physical and social aspects of living with a chronic condition; how to manage symptoms, medications and treat side -effects; improve communication with health care team members; and lead a healthy lifestyle, manage stress, make action plans and set goals.

The workshops will be held at Land O'Lakes Community Services, 12497A Highway 41, Northbrook, on Wednesdays, April 8 to May 13, 1:30- 4pm. Participants will receive a free copy of the book "Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions".

Register today as spaces are limited! Contact Pam Lemke at 613-336-8934 ext. 229; 1-877-679-6636 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

by Sonja Alcock

Coming together for a meal is a common occurrence. Often the first date for a new budding couple is dinner and a movie - sharing time together in order to get to know one another better. This sometimes leads to more dates, more meals, partnering together for life “until death do us part”. And once that “parting” happens, often the one left behind is left with trying to cope with life without their mate….the one for whom they either cooked, or was lovingly cooked for. I know that when my husband is not home, I seldom cook a full meal. And I know that when I’m away, he will eat hot dogs only! Not healthy meals at all - not like what I would have made for us every day.

The same is true for widows/widowers/single elderly or older couples. Why bother cooking something that takes time just for only one person to eat. We often fall into that “Tea & Toast Syndrome”. So coming together with others during the week to enjoy not only a healthy meal, but a wonderful social interaction is a benefit to the well being of every senior, whether still married or single. This is the time when friendships are made; when others learn to care for one another in a deeper way; where contacts are made. Here is when we learn the ups and downs of each other’s lives, and often what illnesses are happening so they can “take care of each other”. “How is your chest cold today, Eddie?” “Did you see the doctor last week for your checkup?” Basically keeping tabs on one another.

Congregate Dining is happening all around us every day. Inviting someone over to lunch, dinner - or meeting somewhere for coffee. And here in the Land O’ Lakes area, Land O’ Lakes Community Services (LOLCS) provide two programs for seniors to come together for food and friendship: every Tuesday in Flinton, and every first Monday of the month in Denbigh. A time where friends meet to play games, exercise and then have a great meal cooked by loving volunteers who make nutritional meals that not only consider the health of each person, but taste buds as well!

I met a woman in the grocery store a few weeks back who is a volunteer cook. There was a sale on butter and she was there buying as much as she could because she wanted to make the best tasting meal for those she cooks for. Her devotion speaks volumes to me. There are 14 volunteer cooks with LOLCS Diner’s Club and Adult Drop In, serving 50+ people in Denbigh, and 80+ people in Flinton. Other volunteers plan menus, shop, cook, serve, clean up and lead exercises. Without our many volunteers, LOLCS would not be able to make this wonderful program function as well as it does. Knowing this means that you will be with people with loving and caring hearts. If you are interested in participating in these wonderful programs, but do not know how to go about it, please contact Pam Lemke at 613-336-8934, ext 229 at the LOLCS office in Northbrook or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Adult Drop-In meets every Tuesday at the Flinton Hall in Flinton. It is a wonderful opportunity for social time, mild music & card games or just visiting with others. Begins at 9:30 a.m. with a hot, nutritious lunch prepared and served by volunteers. Cost is only $7 for the meal. And you are more than welcome to come just for the social time without having the meal at no cost at all except gaining a friendship.

Denbigh Diners Club meets in Denbigh at the Community Centre on the first Monday of every month, except when it’s a holiday; then it’s the following Monday. Once again the cost is only $7 for the meal.

Gift Certificates are available for the above at the LOLCS office in Northbrook.

If you are unable to attend because of transportation issues, LOLCS has that covered too, so please call and let them help you make some new friends for life.

Families and children from the community enjoyed a Saturday of fun on Sept. 20 at the Child Centre in Sharbot Lake at their annual Mighty Machines and Roaring Reptiles event. Community Living-North Frontenac partnered with Northern Frontenac Community Services to sponsor the event, which included a free barbeque lunch, arts and crafts activities, and an interactive display of trucks and vehicles for children to explore from different businesses and organizations in the community. Colin Efford of Ray's Reptiles was a huge draw and he presented numerous creatures to a captivated audience of children who had a chance to get up close and learn more about snakes, turtles, lizards and many other exotic creatures. The event also included a yard sale for the United Way. It was a busy day and before noon already 60 guests were on site enjoying the free activities and food. Hats off to all the organizers, volunteers and staff. 

A number of Central Frontenac area families have been suffering this summer with flu-like symptoms, followed by mouth sores and a rash. The disease they are likely suffering from is Hand Foot and Mouth disease (not to be confused with Hoof and Mouth disease, which only occurs in animals). In a Kingston Frontenac Public Health fact sheet, Hand Foot and Mouth disease is characterized as a “common contagious viral illness that affects mostly children, but adults can get it too.” It is usually contracted in the summer months and nearly all people recover within 7 to 10 days without treatment. It is considered “moderately contagious through direct contact with an infected person”.

Residents have raised concerns that the disease was contracted through the water at some of the local beaches, in particular the Sharbot Lake Beach, but Public Health Unit Officials say that cannot be the case.

“Hand Foot and Mouth Disease is a virus that is only spread through direct human contact, not the water at public beaches,” said Karla Gimby, communications officer with KFL&A Public Health.

Gimby added that the Public Health does not get notified by local primary care physicians or schools about outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease, unlike diseases such as influenza, which pose a more serious risk to public health.

The Health Unit does test the water at a number of locations in Frontenac County each summer for bacterial content, including: Arden, Long Lake, Big Clear Lake, Eagle Lake, Crow Lake, Kennebec Lake, and Sharbot Lake in Central Frontenac; Palmerston and Ompah in North Frontenac; Davidsons, Desert Lake and Sydenham Lake.

At this time all of those locations are listed as safe and the beaches are open to the public.

In an effort to reach out to parents and their young children in their catchment area, staff of Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) celebrated the United Way's Success by Six week by organizing a special event at the Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church on May 7.

 The Success by Six campaign promotes the idea of making moments matter between young parents and their children by encouraging healthy, fun and creative interaction between them. NFCS staff, who have received grants from the United Way in the past, organized the event, which was called "Fun with Fairy Tales".

Volunteers Katie Scott, Shelly Sayle-Udall (from Pathways), Zoe Ferland and NFCS staff member Max McLean charmed children by coming dressed as popular fairy tale characters. They were decked out respectively as Snow White, Pooh Bear from Winnie the Pooh, Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Captain Hook from Peter Pan. The volunteers interacted with children at a number of different stations set up in the room.

Children had a chance to make their own hooks with Captain Hook, enjoyed a tea party with Belle, made gingerbread men with Pooh and made apple prints with Snow White. Local musician Glenda Nicol came in to entertain the children with live music and staff also read fairy tales to the assembled group.

Maribeth Scott, who is the manager of NFCS, said she decided to hold the event in Harrowsmith this year to give an opportunity to young families in the south part of their catchment area. Staff also offered free transportation to families from the north who wished to attend. Children and their families enjoyed the event and many youngsters came dressed as some of their own favorite fairy tale characters, which made for a very colorful and cute event for all.

On March 10 over 20 guests attended a talk in Sydenham given by Thomas Martin TegTmeyer on “Ultimate Wellbeing”. The presentation was part of Southern Frontenac Community Services’ third Speaker Series.

Organizer Lorraine Creighton said that she is pleased with the number of listeners the series is attracting. Creighton decided to host a speaker series at the SFCSC back in February 2013 as a way to engage local residents on a number of health topics and issues that concern them. “I thought that a speaker series would be a great way to offer information to residents in the rural community here since often we can tend to miss out on information sessions that are more readily available in larger communities. My goal has been to bring people in from different sectors to provide information on a number of different topics,” Creighton said on March 10.

The information sessions, which take place every Monday in March and are free of charge, often will include two speakers on related topics. Creighton said that she aims to match up topics that relate to one other so that listeners can get a wealth of information in any one visit. The series is definitely growing in popularity.

TegTmeyer is a practitioner of Touch for Health, an alternative health practice that originates from traditional Chinese medicine, specifically acupressure. His practice originates from a practical guide book written on the subject by John Thie and Matthew Thie titled “Touch For Health: A Practical Guide to Natural Health with Acupressure Touch”. TegTmeyer gave an in-depth talk and demonstration on the technique, which aims to “facilitate the flow of energy and communication between all of the cells, organs, and organ systems in the body as well as between the conscious and unconscious mind.” He said the system includes using metaphors based on the five elements that are identified in traditional Chinese medicine as a way of “realizing a more holistic sense of what exactly is happening in one’s life.” TegTmeyer invited participants to explore many of the movements associated with the practice and he performed a demonstration on one volunteer from the group.

The speaker series is for anyone, not just seniors, who is looking for information on a variety of health-related topics. Mary Gaynor-Briese, who heads up caregiver and bereavement support as well as palliative care at the SFCSC, will be speaking at the next installment of the series on Monday March 17. She will speak on the topic of caregiver support in a talk she has titled “Taking Care of You”. In it she will focus on how caregivers should take the time to care for themselves. “My thrust will be on how to keep a balance in our lives in order to stay contented and happy. I am a firm believer that unless we take care of ourselves first, we will not be able to care for others.” Briese said her talk is not only geared to caregivers but to all who want to maintain balance in their lives. The talk will focus on exercise, sleep, diet but also on taking the time to have fun and play.” Her talk will coincide with Evelyn Sideen’s talk on the practice of Reiki.

On March 24 topics will include “Hypnosis for Relaxation” and on March 31 the staff from KFL&A Health Unit will present a talk on “Falls Prevention”. The talks take place from 1 –3pm at the Grace Centre, located at 4295 Stagecoach Road in Sydenham.