A fundraiser is being held in support of Free the Children and the Louise Marshall Hospital at the Sportsplex here on Nov. 30.
Organizer Donna McFarlane has been involved with local Free the Children programs in the community for the last four years.
Since she retired from Victoria Cross Public School in 2009, her club has raised $53,000 for local initiatives and projects in the Kenyan town of Osentoi, which has been officially adopted by the Mount Forest group.
Free the Children supports charity work on any level and encourages its volunteers to be active in their own communities. This is why the event is a collaborative project, with half the proceeds going toward initiatives at Louise Marshall, McFarlane explains.
“Free the Children stresses that even though they really appreciate the support, their philosophy is volunteerism on any level and they encourage you to do local projects,” McFarlane explains.
She says the students involved at Victoria Cross PS, St. Mary’s Catholic and Wellington Heights Secondary School all agreed on the hospital as a worthwhile local undertaking.
“The kids really wanted to support the hospital. There has been a big fundraising campaign because they have to expand and re-do our emergency room,” she says.
“So the kids have been aware that there’s stuff going on in the community and that’s what they wanted to do.”
McFarlane’s club has also recently made signs that will be unveiled at this weekend’s event and placed at entrances to Mount Forest.
“We had signs made for all four edges of town that say, ‘we are a Free the Children community, special friends to Osentoi, Kenya’,” she explains. “It was really fun doing that.”
The Nov. 30 afternoon event will also feature guest speaker Robin Wizowaty, head of Free the Children projects in Kenya and author of My Maasai Life.
Following her presentation, there will be a question and answer period and meet and greet session.
Two children from one of the schools in Kenya will also speak to visitors to give a first hand account of the work Free the Children is doing in their community.
“My husband and I are lucky enough that we’ve gone on volunteer trips to Kenya and to India and we saw the conditions there so it really motivates you,” she says. “We saw how brutal [the water] was, so water was our very first goal, because if you could see the filthy water these people were drinking you’d know why they don’t name their children until they’re six-years-old.”
Since adopting the village, McFarlane and her group have put a well in the community and have built some school classrooms.
Now they’re working on getting a health centre established.
“When I retired, I knew that I couldn’t just sit in a chair and do nothing, I needed a passion,” McFarlane says.
She said she went to a presentation by Marc Kielburger, co-founder of Free the Children and Me to We, and that inspired her to get involved.
“When I went and heard Marc speak, I knew that’s what I wanted to become involved in,” she said.
Also as part of the event, country artist Mark Benson will put on a free concert along with guest performer, local musician Debbie Meyers. There will also be a trunk sale, featuring jewelry made by the women of Osenetoi, baked items, Free the Children T-shirts and a silent auction. Refreshments and snacks will also be available.
Admission to the event is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.
Doors open at 1pm and the event runs throughout the afternoon, concluding around 4pm. For more information, McFarlane can be reached at 519-323-1780.
