The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

10 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 28, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com Student inspires support for Canadian Olympians By Catherine O'Hara SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Holly Micuda, a Grade 5 student at Our Lady of Peace School is helping fund Canadian athletes by selling truly Canadian red-andwhite wristbands. Her goal: to sell 10,000 by the end of the school year. The 11-year-old is well on her way, having sold more than 7,000 bracelets and raised more than $21,000. Her school held a pep rally, which was attended by three-time Olympian and Canadian women's hockey team veteran, Becky Kellar. "Our wristband fundraising efforts are helping athletes like Becky," Micuda told her peers. "I want to thank all of you, and Holly especially for the work she's done for Canadian athletes," said Kellar, a Burlington resident and member of the National Women's Hockey League's Oakville Ice. "It takes a lot of money and sacrifices for athletes to strive for their Olympic dreams. Those sacrifices wouldn't be possible without someone like Holly." Micuda spearheaded the bracelet campaign with the help of Jane Roos, founder and executive director of the Canadian Athletes Now Fund (CAN Fund). Inspired by a creative writing assignment focused on whether Canadian athletes were receiving enough funding, Micuda put her entrepreneurship to the test. While watching the Olympic Games in Torino, she wrote a proposal to her school principal about selling wristbands and proceeds going to the Canadian Athletes Large Canadian Wholesaler & Grower of Usual and Unusual Plants Opening their Doors to the Public r Sale! Summe Now Fund. While researching for her creative writing assignment, Micuda came across the Canadian Athletes Now Fund Web site and contacted Roos via e-mail. The wristbands are rubber, red and white, with "Canadian Athletes Now" inscribed on the outside. Inside, Micuda's very own slogan was incorporated: "Don't just hope they win, help them win." Micuda, who aspires to compete in the 2012 Olympics for figure skating, said, "I thought it was just an idea, and that would be it. I'm really excited and really happy to be helping Canadian athletes." She's doing it through the CAN Fund, a non-profit organization that provides Canadian Athletes with funding. "We are investing in human potential," said Roos. If Holly is successful in selling 10,000 wristbands at $3 apiece, she would have helped fund six Canadian athletes. To receive a funding from the CAN Fund, athletes are required to fill out an application form. The monies help athletes cover costs of housing, training, nutrition, coaching and transportation. The CAN Fund was also the national charity for the Ottawa Marathon in May. Micuda, her mom and friends, drove to Ottawa to set up shop. "She came up with her own little posse and sold the wristbands like wildfire," said Roos. Gold medalist Clara Hughes, a Canadian speed skater at the Torino Games, has donated $5,000 towards Micuda's cause to sell wristbands. Micuda, LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER SHOW OF SUPPORT: Olympian Becky Kellar and student Holly Micuda, who started the Canadian Athlete Now Fund Bracelet. herself, sold 300 wristbands at her elementary school, 1,000 in Ottawa and another 1,000 wristbands online. "She's a little pistol," said Roos. "She's my competition, and I applaud her." Visit www.seeyouintorino.com or email hollym@cogeco.ca. ls to Choose From! r 250,000 Perennia Ove All 4" Perennials ART CLASSES For Children & Adults CHILDREN'S ART CAMP - FOR 7 TO 15 YEARS OLD Drawing and Cartooning - Ages 7 to 12 · Action, Fantasy & Adventures in Art - Ages 9 to 14 All about painting - Ages 7 to 12 · Fine Art for Teens - Ages 13+ Drawing for Teens and Young at Heart - Adults ages 13+ · Learning How to Draw - Ages 9 to 12 Make your Mark - Ages 9 to 12 · Children's Pottery - Ages 7 to 12 Children Creating with Clay - Ages 7 to 12 · Mothers & Tots Working with Clay - Ages 3 to 5 Huge Selection of Perennials Blue & Green Spruce, Shade Trees, Fruit Trees, each Junipers and Yews Equals 40-80% OFF ¢ 99 Large selection of 5'-6' premium Cedar hedging Great Selection of Flowering Trees & Shrubs up to %OFF 70selected items One FREE Rose Bush with every purchase WITH THIS COUPON. LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER. EXPIRES JULY 15, 2006 ABERFOYLE Gilmour Road GUELPH / ABERFOYLE LOCATION ADULTS - A SUMMER OF POSSIBILITIES Adults Deserve Some Fun, As Well ADULT WORKSHOPS Day & Evening Classes - 21/2 hours · Beginning July 3th, 2006 PAINTING - POTTERY - DRAWING - CARTOONING SUMMER CLASSES BEGIN JULY 3, 2006 Guelph HORTICO GARDENS 128 BROCK RD. S. 519-767-5326 South of Aberfoyle only 15 miutes from Milton ahd Cambridge OPEN MON. TO FRI. 8 AM - 8 PM; SAT, 8 AM - 6 PM; CLOSED SUNDAYS *Hortico Gardens is independently owned and operated. HORTICO 128 Brock Road McLean Road Brock Rd. N Hwy. 401 Toronto The Oakville Art Society's experienced instructors offer a wide variety of programs, from beginner to advanced, you're sure to find a class best suited for your skill level and busy schedule. Classes run throughout the year and are held mornings, afternoons and evenings. London 5th Concession East Robson Rd. Roses, Trees & Shrubs Call for your free brochure or visit www.oakvilleartsociety.com OPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAY 8 AM - 5 PM; CLOSED SUNDAYS email: sales@hortico.com website: www.hortico.com Hamilton 723 ROBSON RD., WATERDOWN 905-689-6984 Parkside Drive Evans Rd. SERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 30 YEARS Hwy. 6 OPEN CANADA DAY HORTICO INC. 422 5th Conc. HORTICO 723 Robson Road WATERDOWN LOCATION Perennial Yard 560 Bronte Road, Oakville 905-827-5711 www.oakvilleartsociety.com Supporting Creativity in Your Community for 40 Years Dundas St. (Hwy. 5) Burlington