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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday August 8, 2008 - 17 Student still learning after all these years Continued from page 14 plight of education. I quickly concluded that although her body had aged, at 88 years of age, Mrs. Haufschild was still the same witty, articulate, elegant teacher of my early years. At last I relayed the reason for my visit and pointed to her name in my book. Her face beamed with surprise and delight. Overwhelmed, but still able to articulate, she voiced her gratefulness and pointed to a ceramic plaque on the wall which read, "To teach is to touch a life forever." At this poignant moment with its fulfilling truth, we fought back the tears. As Christmas approached, my husband, a Grade 6 teacher at Oakville Christian School, worked intensely on the Christmas play. Seizing this opportunity, I invited Evelyn to attend the performance to which she eagerly accepted. A week prior to this anticipated event, the entire floor of her residence was quarantined and she suf- fered with pneumonia. Mutually disheartened, I promised to visit her with my family in the New Year when she was well again. In March I received sad news from my hometown. A neighbour from my childhood years had died. Making plans to attend his funeral, I searched the Internet for details. I gasped. Listed directly below his name, I saw the obituary of Evelyn Haufschild. They had passed away within hours of each other; the funerals were on the same day and they rested in the same New Hamburg funeral home. Regrets about my busy lifestyle and my procrastination in visiting Evelyn haunted me that day. Later, I chided myself for these thoughts and chose, instead, to be thankful for the rare and precious reunion I'd had with this remarkable lady -- a teacher whose words had greatly inspired and touched my life. I cherish a handwritten letter from her expressing enjoyment of the book and her profound gratitude-proof that my dream Overwhelmed, but still able to articulate, she (Mrs. Haufschild) voiced her gratefulness and pointed to a ceramic plaque on the wall, which read, `To teach is to touch a life forever.' had been realized. At the visitation, Evelyn's family greeted me warmly. "The book meant the world to her. It became a symbol of the culmination of her career," her daughter shared. I paused over her white-crowned shell dressed in satiny, emerald green. Deep awe and gratitude welled up at once. What a privilege I'd had to bless her in the final chapter of her life. With just a few words, she had significantly touched mine. That summer, my book, Through Fire & Sea, received the Canadian Christian Writer's Word Guild Award in the Life Stories category. I know Mrs. Haufschild would have been immensely proud of her student. The embarrassing piece of irony in all of this? I misspelled her name in the book. Me -- the perfect speller! I could have avoided this if I had only taken time to search through our crawl space for my old report cards. She had graciously waved off the error while I wrote "sp." with a frowning face in the column. I promised her would have it corrected in the second printing. I have kept that promise. "Mrs. Haufschild, I got it right this time!" I can almost see the check mark in the margin. For information about Marilyn Meyers, go online to www.mercyships.ca or www.fireandsea.com. RETIREMENT LIVING JUST GOT BETTER ConKer Ride aims to raise $100,000 for blood cancer research Riders participating in the second annual ConKer Ride hope to double the $100,000 raised last year. ConKer Construction is located at 860 Progress Court in Oakville however the ride, which is held by Friends for a Cure, involves various sponsors from Mississauga to Woodbridge and Stoney Creek. The ride itself will leave Aug. 24 from Envy Rides, located at 3413 Wolfedale Rd. Riders, in teams of 10, will take a light lunch break in Lincoln, and then continue on through Niagara Falls and back to Envy Rides. Registration is $50 per rider and $25 per passenger. The team that has the most pledges will get to spend an evening in a private box at the Air Canada Centre watching a sports event of its choice. Money raised through the ride will go to the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children and Princess Margaret Hospital for research on blood cancer. Pledge forms and registration forms can be picked up from ConKer Construction at 860 Progress Court. For more information visit, www.theconkerride.com. W e're very pleased to announce that seniors now have a new option in retirement living. The thoughtfully designed suites, amenity spaces and services of Chartwell Classic Oakville retirement residence are created to match your lifestyle, now and in the future, in a setting you would be proud to call home. Call today to book your personal tour. Leasing up fast! PRESENTATION CENTRE NOW OPEN! Trish White and Jo-Anne Lavigne, are the Marketing Managers for Chartwell Classic Oakville. Collectively they have been in service to seniors and their families for over 25 years. Their passion for exceeding expectations in retirement living is obvious from the smiles on their faces. They look forward to meeting you, drop by the presentation centre today! Big mentors being sought Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton is encouraging men to step up to the plate and volunteer to be a mentor to a boy on the waiting list. While this United Way agency's campaign to find 100 Good Men in 2008 has attracted some new volunteers, there continues to be a severe shortage of male mentors in the Oakville area. "Being a Big Brother doesn't have to be an expensive or time-consuming proposition," said Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton co-ordinator of volunteers Wendy Somerville. To find out how a little bit of time can mean a lot to a child, call Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton Oakville office at 905-339-2355, e-mail info@bbbshalton.ca or visit www.bbbshalton.ca. Call 905-257-0095 180 Oak Park Blvd. Oakville, ON www.chartwellreit.ca