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14 Living Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN Tami Armstrong, Oak Park resident www.oakvillebeaver.com Phone: 905-845-3824, ext. 248 Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: angela@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2007 Sketchy idea paying off in Oak Park By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF hat began as a sketchy idea has become permanently etched on the memory of the Armstrong family in Oak Park. It has also grown to adorn at least one wall in many of their neighbours homes. The idea led to everyone feeling good as each member of the Armstrong family has participated in helping the United Way -- and witnessed their neighbours also coming on board and assisting. "The kids felt so great and proud and so did we. It really has made a big impact on all of us," said Tami, matriarch of the Armstrong clan. It all began when Tami's husband, Michael, received a challenge at work to raise $1,000 for the United Way. Michael manages women's wear for an upscale fashion retailer. "He wasn't sure what to do to raise the money. He is very creative and artistic and we have all kids of art around the house that he has done, so my nine-year-old daughter Macy suggested he sketch some of our neighbors houses and frame them and sell them to the home-owners," said Tami. So Mike drew the Armstrong home quickly, framed it and then 14-year-old Elle Armstrong took her younger siblings around the neighbourhood as they knocked door to door to sell the sketches. Each was to cost $25, framed. "All three of our kids, ages seven, nine and 14, headed out along with their nine-year-old friend. An hour later they came back with $360 and W "The kids felt so great and proud and so did we. It really has made a big impact on all of us." only did our street," said Tami. Macy, whose idea it was, had help from her friend Jackie Black, 9, as well as Elle and seven-year-old Jett Armstrong. All the Armstrong children attend Post's Corners Public School, while Elle attends Grade 9 at Iroquois Ridge High School. They first ventured out in the neighbourhood in early November. The following weekend, they returned, continuing to knock on doors around the entire neighbourhood to raise the money -- and delivered sketches that had already been done. As neighbours agreed, the youths took down their address, then Michael stopped by each home and took a digital photo and quickly did the sketch and framed it. By mid-week, he had accomplished all the work rounded up by his kids the first weekend. "Every cent is going to the United Way," said Tami. "At school the kids all got to tell their classes about their great weekend. Our neighbours are wonderful here in Oak Park," said Tami, explaining the family has lived there several years. The Armstrong family continues to raise funds for the United Way and can be reached at tamiandmike@yahoo.ca. DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER DOING THEIR PART: Jackie Black, left, Macy and Jeff Armstrong pose with the sketches their dad is doing, framing and then selling to neighbours in support of the United Way. Each sketch is of a house in the neighbourhood. Holidays a perfect time to think of Africa By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Imagine the chance to jump onto the deck of the Titanic and turn history around. The Titanic's fate is history, but a new course could be set for the tragedy of the HIV/AIDS pandemic ravaging Africa. Renowned journalist and Oakville resident Sally Armstrong, honourary chair of the new $Million or More Oakville campaign noted the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SFL) has a plan in place to make a difference in Africa. "What it needs is the money to put it into action and that requires grace, our grace, to come up to the deck and turn this Titanic around," stated Armstrong. Grace can be defined by Oakville residents and there are a million or more ways to do it. What matters is that in so doing, it will provide choice for residents of Africa infected, and affected, by HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has rendered more than 13 million children in Africa orphans and the number is predicted to rise to 20 million. As World AIDS Day approaches Saturday, Dec. 1, local residents are being reminded they can mark it by donating a day's pay to the SLF. Or there are other things to do as Oakville's new two-year, $Million or More effort to fundraise a cool million for the SLF, gets off the ground. Between World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) 2007 and Dec. 1, 2009, Oakville is aiming to raise a million or more. Co-chaired by former Oakville mayor Ann Mulvale, the new campaign is working in tandem with other local groups such as oomama, another fundraising branch of the SLF. oomama was founded just over a year ago as a means of grandmothers worldwide assisting their counterparts, grandmothers in Africa, who have found themselves shouldering the many burdens created by the AIDS pandemic in Africa. As women, grandmothers, care for and bury their own children, they are then spending their twilight years raising their grandchildren, which includes facing ostracization in their community and the need to find economic means of providing for their See Lots page 19