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Editor: Wilma Blokhuis Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 250) Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: blokhuis@haltonsearch.com FOCUS CREMATION, O a k v ille ' W & t& rfn y n t TettVvcCb bet me tacts, rind, out about j the choices it provides. " Glen Oaks Memorial Gardens 3164 9th Line, Oakville Official Media Sponsor G//257-1100 Pilgrimage to Uganda Couple vows to help orphans By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL T O THE BEAVER A world away, in Uganda, there are chil dren whose lives begin destitute, with out family, without food, without a place to call home. But then people like Nancy and Jim Chobrda step in to offer them a better way of life. A mission trip to Kampala, Uganda, with 23 other parishioners of Evangel Pentecostal Church last year changed the Oakville couple's lives -- especially Nancy's. Upon her return from that trip in which the con gregation spent three weeks building houses for orphans in the East African country, Nancy set out on another mission. She intends to raise $15,000 locally and use it to build another orphanage in Kampala. She began fundraising in January and is about $3,000 of the way there. A cache of letters requesting donations have been mailed out to corporations big and small. The largest, $ 1,000, came from a local Investors Group office, $750 from Laura Secord and others from Fairview Dodge, Nancy's dentist and veterinarian. Virtually anyone who crosses the diligent fundrais er's path is a potential donor. And she's organizing a benefit concert June 15, at the Rebecca Street church featuring Father Mark Curtis, Canada's Singing Priest. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show cost $ 13 each. "Uganda needs a lot of help. There are one mil lion children living on the streets, as a result of los ing their parents through war or AIDS, it's really bad over there," said Nancy. The houses are the child care solution of the country's Watoto Ministry. Already several clus ters of eight modest homes have been built in Kampala. They are simple abodes -- a tin roof atop brick, mud and sand walls that are wedged between wood pillars. In each house resides eight orphaned children aged 14 and under, and a caregiver affectionately called `mom.' One bedroom is for the housemoth er, two more bedrooms are shared among the eight children and a living room make up all their living space. There is no fridge, stove or indoor toilet. Yet, a house lacking in what we deem to be creature comforts is more importantly a safe haven for these young impoverished children. "The poorest person here, in Canada, would be rich by Ugandan standards yet there, they find hap piness and continue to share what little they have, because they rely on God for their survival," said Nancy who considers this lesson the most impor tant learned on her trip. The church in Kampala is the centre of com munity life. It is the largest building, never closes, has 10,000 members and due to demand five church services are offered on Sundays. Helping children in Africa, and one in Chile, is an extension of what the Chobrdas have been doing for six years, through regular monthly dona tions to World Vision and Child Care Plus. On the trip to Africa, they actually met two of Jim and Nancy Chobrda met, for the first time, two teens they've sponsored for the past six years, Doreen Nambuya, 16, second from left, and Deogratius M uska, 17, on a visit to an orphan age in Uganda last year as part of group from Evangel Pentecostal Church. The same equation Nancy hopes will hold true the children they sponsor and the transformation they saw in their lives, was a great comfort. Clean for the African children who will benefit from her clothes, healthy bodies and a safe living environ fundraising efforts. For information about helping these children by ment proved to the Chobrdas that a little money goes a long way toward improving a child's future making a tax deductible donation, or buying con cert tickets, call Nancy Chobrda at 905-847-6882. in a poor country. Oakville hosts tattoo to honour veterans By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF This WW II Lancaster Bomber from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, will fly over head on June 15, Veterans Day in Oakville, at 4 and 4:20 p.m. About 500 veterans are expected to gather at Appleby College for a tattoo and military display open to the public. June 15 will be a memorable day for local veterans who served, sacrificed and survived to return home and help build Oakville and the rest of Canada. Starting at 1 p.m. at Appleby College, a special tribute will include a tattoo with military pipes and drums, Scottish dancers, displays and a formal dinner. Another high note will the fly-past of a Lancaster bomber, one of only two such operational aircraft in the world. "My feeling is that the veter ans are pretty excited about it and we're hoping for a great day," said Halton Regional Police Inspector William Ford, who is spearheading the event. "Some of them will be wear ing their old uniforms. Others are polishing their medals." There are currently hundreds of war veterans plus wartime nurses and merchant marines living in Oakville. "For the first time in Canadian history, Wartime Nursing Sisters, the Merchant Marine, and veterans from World War I and II, plus the Korean War, will be honoured at the same event," said Ford. Insp. Ford, a Bronte Legion member whose parents were both veterans, explained that it was during a recent Remembrance Day ceremony that he saw all the surviving vets and realized that a tribute to those who lived through war was long overdue. "It's time for all of us to pay our debt of gratitude. The sacri fices made, the dangers faced, were unprecedented for their generation," said Insp. Ford. "If we were going to thank them, time's running out." (See 'Veterans' page B2) The Body Shaping Fitness Studio ForWomen. Dirk Gebhardt Maria Kinlough M aria and D irk have created Oakville s m ost unique fitness studio for W omen. Jou arc cordially invited to tour the Studio It is a lovely place to exercise your fitness dreams. You will experience a 10,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art environment including the very best equipment, excellent child minding, a variety o f classes, hot tub, sauna, make-up vanities, private showers, cardio theatre, personal training, massage therapy, weight loss management and lots o f free parking. You will never be pressured into becoming a member and no one will call you after your visit. T he decision is yours! I f you choose to join us you will receive all the assistance that you need. There are six kinesiologists, two registered massage therapists, a holistic nutritionist and numerous support staff to help you achieve your goals. We believe that fitness should be fun and stress free. Please call to book an appointment to see for yourself why the Studio was voted best fitness facility in Oakville. Celebrating our 51st year in Oakville FINE OUTERWEAR SINCE 1815 Diamond Award Winner for Oakvilles Best Fitness Facility. For m ore inform ation please call (9 0 5 ) 8 4 9 -1 9 1 9 183 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, Ontario L6K 1E7 (Just East o f Dorval) w w w .b o d y s h a p in g s tu d io .c o m Located in Beautiful Downtown Oakville 209 Lakeshore Road East (905) 845-2031 Mon.-Fri. 9-6 Sat. 9:30-5 Sun. Closed