A local group led by Palmerston resident Mark Robinson is busy preparing for another set of mission trips to the Dominican Republic this winter.
The group has several fundraisers to supplement their efforts, including:
– Sept. 15: a golf tournament in Woodstock (for information contact Bill VanHaeren, bill@uvalux.com);
– Sept. 21: an official Dominican orphanage golf fundraiser at Pike Lake Golf Club. Cost for a foursome is only $250, and includes four rounds of golf and four meals. Cost for the meal only is $25. Organizers are looking for donated prizes for the day; and
– Oct. 23: a fundraiser concert featuring Tanglefoot (www.tanglefoot-music.com) at the Norgan Theatre in Palmerston. Tickets are $22 in advance or $25 at the door (seats are limited). Show time is 7:30pm and doors open at 6:30. For tickets call Terry Cormack at 519-3434-2967 (home), 519-572-3619 (cell), or 519-343-3619 (office).
The mission trip dates and groups are as follows;
– Jan. 24 to 31 for construction, team leader James Stewart (jstewart@transdrive.com);
– Jan. 24 to Jan. 31, landscaping, team leader Jordan Lavin (jlavin@nutrilawn.com);
– Jan. 31 to Feb. 14, construction, team leader Don Brodie (dbrodie@tcc.on.ca);
– Feb. 14 to March 1, medical, team leader Wendy Smith (wendy.smitty@sympatico.ca);
– Feb. 14 to March 1, Sports, team leader Brittany Dale (britt_dale10@hotmail.com); and
– March 1 to 7, co-ordinators Ken Speers (missiontrip@sympatico.ca) or Mark Robinson (marcon@hsfx.ca).
Even though the groups have a specific mandate, Robinson said “all team trips are composed of many areas of work, be it in construction, landscaping, working with the children, general handy man, mechanic, welding, etc.”
Organizers are holding several information sessions for anyone interested in volunteering. They are:
– Sept. 14 at the Elora United Church at 2pm, contact Smith;
– Sept. 24 at North Street United Church in Goderich at 7pm, team leader Brodie;
– Sept. 28 in Stratford at 2pm, Wendy Smith;
– Oct. 5 at the library in Belmore at 2:30pm, contact person is Deanne Dickson ddickson@wightman.ca; and
– Oct. 9 or 15, a meeting is in the Erin area but details are not confirmed – contact Speers or Robinson for information.
To organize a meeting, contact Speers or Robinson. All meetings will include the same format and content.
About the children
The boys and girls at Nuestros PequeZos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) are orphaned, abandoned, or disadvantaged. Many have suffered physical and/or verbal abuse, have lived in horrible conditions, and have been shuffled from one family member to another. You can learn more at www.nph.org.
The group is also hoping to fill a container with donations to send to the orphanage.
For information about any of the fundraisers or details about the trip, contact Ken Speers at 519-3434-5161 or missiontrip@sympatico.ca, or Mark Robinson at 519-343-2201 or marcon@hsfx.ca.
