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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday May 4, 2007 - 3 Top Oakville Beaver carrier loves his job By David lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF After years of diligent newspaper delivery an Oakville Beaver carrier has been recognized with the highest honour a carrier can receive. Clayton Trovato, 11, has been awarded the coveted title of the Oakville Beaver's 2007 Carrier of the Year. "I'm pretty proud of that," said Clayton, holding up his Carrier of the Year plaque. "I'd like to do that next year too." Born with special needs, Clayton was first introduced to the world of newspaper delivery by his parents Joe and Diane. "It teaches him responsibility by having to get this done; he gets paid for it, so he has an opportunity to learn some banking skills and by doing this he connects with people in his community," said Joe. "We're trying to make him a well-rounded person and this is a great opportunity for him to learn a work ethic." Although performing his duties as a carrier may make him a better person, for Clayton the job is all about the other perks. These include meeting up with friends, who sometimes accompany him as he completes his route, and being one of the first people out on garbage day, which allows him to get a look at the neat things people throw out. As The Oakville Beaver selects its carrier of the year based on community nominations, it was the support of his neighbours that earned Clayton his award. Clayton's parents have some very definite ideas about why the community has chosen to take BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER CARRIER OF THE YEAR: Clayton Trovato, 11, is joined by his parents, Diane and Joe, as he receives his Oakville Beaver Carrier of the Year award from circulation representative Nancy Antunes. Clayton into their confidence. "He's been doing this for four years. He's very consistent about getting the papers out in a timely fashion," said Diane. "The other thing about Clayton is he brings a lot of good out in people and we see that wherever we go." Clayton's father also noted the amazing determination shown by his son in completing his deliveries despite his condition. "It's a nice validation of all the effort he puts into what he does because other kids wouldn't have to put in the kind of effort he does. It's nice to know that people appreciate that." During his four-year tour of duty as an Oakville Beaver carrier, Clayton has championed several methods of newspaper delivery. Transporting the papers by wagon was abandoned early on as the weight of the papers soon destroyed it. Also, the wagon could only fit so many papers making multiple trips, to and from the house, necessary. "In winter we've been known to take our toboggan out and about," said Diane, noting another delivery method. Eventually Clayton found that using the combination of a shopping cart, generously loaned to him by Canadian Tire, as well as his recumbent bike were perfect for optimal newspaper delivery. Clayton and his parents are of two different minds when it comes to the subject of what to do with the money he earns as a carrier. Clayton favours spending it on toys, particularly Mighty Machines, while his parents are encouraging him to learn the value of saving his money. "What we're saving it for is probably to help him with a more independent life," said Diane. "The more money he can get now, the more he will be able to be independent in the future." Besides being an Oakville Beaver carrier, Clayton is also a Grade 4 student at St. Matthew School, and when not at school uses much of his time volunteering at Kerr Street Ministries and the Oakville and District Humane Society. An avid sportsman Clayton enjoys baseball, ice sledge hockey, and is in the process of learning bocce. He enjoys cooking and is a member of the Oakville Horticultural Society's Junior Gardeners Club. For the moment, Diane watches over Clayton as he rides up and down Oakville's streets delivering papers, something she says she will continue to do for a few more years until she feels he's old enough to make the rounds alone. "We're so proud of him," said Diane. Community rallies behind plight of Vietnamese orphan By Andrew Fruch SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER A 10-year-old Vietnamese orphan with a tumour the size of a soccer ball on the side of his face has apparently touched the hearts and minds of the Oakville community as people are stepping up to raise funds for his cause. The orphan, Son Pham, is hoping to receive life-saving surgery in Canada. The estimated cost of the trip and surgery is $50,000, and the money is being raised by the Children's Bridge Foundation (CBF). Recently, the CBF held fundraising efforts that took place at the Because Kids Grow consignment on April 14. Since then, community support has grown. Recently, St Matthew's Elementary School held a raffle to raise money for Pham. "We wanted to do something for Son Pham," said Kathy Furgala, a parent volunteer with the school. "We thought it would be a great way to show the children how much of an impact they can make." After hearing of Pham, Furgala and a few of the other parents wanted to help. The school council was approached and agreed to hold a raffle for the cause. Tickets were sold throughout the week during lunch hour for the chance to win one of six donated teddy bears. The students were eager to help out, many volunteering to sell tickets, the others purchasing them. "If you see something happening, you're no longer a bystander," said Furgala. "You have to get involved. If we all get involved, we can make it happen, and that is what we wanted to teach the children. A small community can make big things happen." Along with the raffle, which took place this Friday, a garage sale is taking place on Saturday, located at Ambercroft Lane, and all proceeds will go towards Son Pham. Other initiatives are also underway to raise money for Pham. Mother Teresa School will be holding two spirit days on May 11 and 25 to raise money. "We wanted to support this cause," said Christina Daly, Principal of Mother Teresa. "We thought spirit days would be a good way to encourage the students and bring awareness to this issue." Once the theme of the spirit days is decided, students will be asked to bring in a dollar or two Son Pham in order to participate in the day. The CBF could not be more pleased with the response it has received from Oakville. "Oakville has been fabulous, absolutely wonderful," said Camille Glover, CBF board member and Oakville resident. "We raised between $5,000 and $6,000 in two weeks. That is 10 percent of the money needed. It's better than I could have imagined. The people of Oakville have been very generous." For the months of May and June, the CBF has partnered with the company Supperworks. At a number of Supperworks locations, including Oakville, when customers identify themselves as being part of the CBF fundraising effort, the company will donate funds to the cause. Currently, the total sum raised by the CBF stands at just above $45,000. But time is quickly running out. Pham has been receiving injections to harden the tumour in preparation for surgery. With only one injection left to go, the tumour will have to be removed soon or else Pham will die. The surgery will either be done at Toronto's Hospital For Sick Children or IWK Children's Hospital in Halifax. Neither hospital has yet to officially confirm a commitment. Any extra funds that are raised for Pham will be used to help the hundreds of other children from his orphanage. Those looking for up-to-date information on Son Pham or wishing to donate are encouraged to visit the CBF website at www.cbfoundation.com.