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16 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 1, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Living Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Phone: 905-845-3824, ext. 248 Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com Ribbons link circle of life by the metre T he challenge has been issued and people all over town are taking it on -- to extend the circle of life via a red ribbon from Oakville to Africa. Metres for $MOMO (Million or More Oakville) was launched at Oakville Place Monday and organizers hope residents will use its red ribbons to extend the fortune of their circle of life to the millions of orphans in Africa. Asking residents to dig a little deeper in their charity for a simple toonie that may be in their pocket or on their dresser, it aims to raise $72,000 -- the equivalent of one kilometre of ribbon -- for the Stephen Lewis Foundation and its work to ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa by Oct. 25. Oakville Place has sponsored the ribbons -- a regal red, which at one metre long each, can hold 36 toonies end-to-end or the equivalent of $72. Residents can pick up the ribbons at Oakville Place's Courtesy Desk and are being urged to save their toonies and take on the challenge -- as a family, school, church, workplace or service group -- of filling a metre-long ribbon for the cause. $MOMO aims to raise $1 million over a twoyear period and fundraisers of all types are being held by various groups and individuals. The Metres for $MOMO is the newest campaign and comes on the heels of last weekend's successful Amazing Race Against Time that was organized by a group of local university graduates. Since being launched last December, $MOMO has achieved well over $260,000 toward its target. On Oct. 25, former CFLer Dan Ferrone will emcee an event at Oakville Place, which will see groups from across town turn in their ribbons and toonies (though organizers are hoping res- "Imagine what a toonie could do? Money we won't miss will do so much over there." Sharon Roebbelen, King's Christian Collegiate MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER METRES TO GO: Award-winning journalist Sally Armstrong, right, pitches in her toonie's worth at the kickoff of the Metres for $MOMO ($Million or More Oakville) at Oakville Place. The ribbon campaign is challenging residents from all corners of town to dig in and donate a toonie or two to raise $72,000 by Oct. 25 against the ravages of AIDS in Africa. idents will pen a cheque rather than cart in all the toonies) and balloons of various colours, representing the various group efforts, will be raised in the mall. "Ribbon campaigns have a way of wrapping communities together and packing up a gift of grace," said journalist Sally Armstrong, honourary $MOMO campaign chair, who has been to Africa and has seen first-hand the millions of orphans left in the wake of the continent's HIV/AIDS devastation. "We're walking on the knife's edge of an unsolvable human catastrophe. Twenty million children will be orphaned by the year 2010. Africa has become a continent of orphans," stated a quote from Lewis on one of the placards at the campaign launch. Ann Mulvale, who co-chairs the campaign with Andrea Wagner, said the foundation recently confirmed the number of orphans in Africa is approximately 13 million -- greater than the population of Ontario. "Our kids in Oakville have a very different life than a kid in Africa," said Mulvale. Ferrone said it's tough to put a face to the crisis in Africa, but when the faces of children being raised by grandmothers comes to the fore, he can't walk away. Neither can Jean Gandubert, CEO of the Oakville Soccer Club, who is already mired in a capital fundraising campaign for a new club/Town of Oakville soccer complex, but who committed to challenge the 11,000 soccer players and their families -- some 30,000 Oakville residents -- to find toonies for the cause. "We've really stretched ourselves already, but there is no excuse for not reaching out to Africa," said Gandubert, noting the 2010 soccer world cup will be held in Africa and that the club will do its best to come up with a soccer field length of ribbons filled with toonies. Wayne Hussey of the Oakville Gymnastic Club said that in addition to the option of members adding a $5 donation to $MOMO at registration, he will challenge club members to pick up ribbons and collect toonies. Former Chamber of Commerce president and realtor Mary Cardamone said she'll take the challenge to Oakville's realty community. See Metres page 17 Angels hockey Blades vs. breast cancer Bless those pets October has been declared Rett Syndrome awareness month in Oakville and a 3on3 Street hockey tournament on Oct. 5 in the Canadian Tire parking lot is taking place to raise awareness about the disorder. Residents are being urged to play in the street for a silent angel at the fundraiser to take place at Canadian Tire at 400 Dundas St. (at Trafalgar Road). Rett Syndrome (RS) is a neurological disorder that is seen almost exclusively in females and is believed to occur in one in 10,000 female births. Girls with RS appear to develop normally until six to 18 months of age and then typically enter a period of regression, losing speech, gross motor and fine motor skills. For this reason the girls are affectionately known as Silent Angels. RS is the most disabling of the autism spectrum of disorders. Girls with RS need full-time assistance with allaspects of their daily living. To learn more about the event and to register, visit www.rettfundraiser.com. The Oakville Blades Junior A Hockey Club will hold its first ever benefit hockey game on Saturday, Oct. 18 in support of breast cancer awareness as October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The game is a regularly scheduled league match and will be held at Joshua Creek Arena in Oakville. Game time is 7:30 p.m. against opposition team the Burlington Cougars. Tickets for the game will be available at all home games right up until game time. Advance tickets cost $12/adults; $8/students and seniors; $5 for kids 12 and under. On game day, tickets cost $15/adults; $10/students/seniors and $7 for kids age 12 and under. The evening will have numerous features including a pre-game barbecue, raffles, auctions and draws. The Oakville Blades players will be wearing pink jerseys in the warm up as a tribute to those affected by breast cancer. The jerseys will be made available to fans for sale during the evening. Intermission entertainment will feature women's sports groups demonstrations and the Oakville Ice Women's Hockey Team will play a match immediately before the Blades, also at Joshua Creek. For more information, contact www.oakvilleblades.ca. Hopedale Presbyterian Church will hold a Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. Pet owners should bring pets on a leash or in carriers. Animals not well socialized could receive a blessing by photo. The church is at 156 Third Line. ... and more pets The annual blessing of the pets is at St. Jude's Anglican Church on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. in the Church Garden. St. Jude's is located at 160 William St. The annual pet blessing honours the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. In addition, St. Jude's will welcome Dog Guide puppies from Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. ... and even more pets A Blessing of Animals service -- dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles and people, on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. at St Cuthbert's Anglican Church in southeast Oakville. Donations to the Oakville And District Humane Society accepted.