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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, May 14, 2010 · 34 Launching Granny power It's all about Granny power. We will not rest until they rest. On Saturday, June 12 Halton Grandmothers groups, including oomama, Ubuntu Grand Women, Blooms for Africa, Bronte Grandmothers, HUGS and Growing for Grannies, will be participating in a national walk. It aims to raise awareness about the role African grandmothers are playing, and to raise funds to support projects in Africa through the Stephen Lewis Foundation and to urge support for Education for All. Sending children in their care to school is a top priority for African grandmothers. Funds from the National Walk will support African grandmothers send their orphaned grandchildren to school. We are excited to announce that Ilana Landsburg-Lewis, executive director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, and Jeff Lozon, president and CEO of Revera Retirement Homes will be joining our walk. Revera is the founding national sponsor for this event. As grandmother groups across Canada participate in walks from coast to coast, they will wear scarves symbolizing solidarity with the Grandmothers of Africa. Two women's economic empowerment groups, Intuthuko and Women for Peace, in South Africa, worked diligently making the scarves. The scarf project created vital income for these women and they embraced the project. The scarves are a powerful link with the African women who made them for the Canadian Grandmothers to Grandmothers' National Walk. Fabric is an ancient symbol of women. The walk begins on Saturday, June 12 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School in Oakville. Kathy Margolese, co-chair of oomama and Elizabeth Rennie, founder of the Burlington Ubuntu Grandwomen, are in Swaziland at the first international Grandmothers' Gathering in Africa. Margolese and Rennie marched on May 8 to call for support and action the world over to help in the struggle against AIDS. They will also be walking with the Halton Grandmothers on June 12. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER SEWING UP SUPPORT: Bronte Grandmothers Wendy Belcher (clockwise from bottom left), Hand up to Grandmothers (HUG) Marg Sicurella, Ubuntu Grandwomen Linda Rafuse, Growing for Grannies Deb Malcolm, Blooms for Africa Carole Terry, Oomama Carole Holmes and National Sponsor Revera President and CEO Jeff Lozon represent all of the groups who will be participating in the Halton Grandmothers Stride to turn the tide Walk on June 12, 2010 in Oakville during the launch party at CJs Café on Wednesday night. The scarves they are wearing were made by African grandmothers. The Halton Grandmothers welcome all to join the walk or make a pledge. To register or make a pledge, contact lorrainegreen@bell.net. Registration is $25 for an individual or a family. Hope to see you there. -- Submitted by oomama World Vision at Abbey Park Abbey Park High School has taken on two World Vision projects. The first is the Five for 5 campaign for which a petition booth was set up in the Glen Abbey high school's lobby in late April. Abbey Park's 30 Hour Famine is also set to take place May 17. The school has invited the community to support both. The 30-Hour Famine will kick off at 8:15 a.m. on May 17 when participating students will gather for a last meal before embarking on the famine. A World Vision representative will also be on hand to speak to the students. Several hundred students have signed up to participate and Lucas Burton, an Abbey Park student involved in organizing both events, is hopeful more than $6,000 will be raised by the famine event. For more information, visit World Vision's RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER website or www.fivefor5.ca where the petition HANDS ON HELP: At the Five for 5 campaign petition booth at Abbey Park High School are, can also be signed. from left, Lucas Burton, Sam Boyd and Erin Nieweglowski. "My hope is that the local community will gain an awareness of this initiative and will take the 30 seconds required to sign the petition and make a difference in the lives of millions of women and children around the world," said Burton. The campaign is raising awareness about the state of maternal and child health across the globe. April 7 marked the launch of World Vision's 10 weeks of Five for 5. Each day 24,000 children under the age of five die of mostly preventable causes -- five years is not a child's lifetime. To participate in this World Vision initiative Abbey Park set up a petition booth in our foyer to allow students to sign the online petition (found on the website above) to make maternal and child health a priority at the upcoming G8 summit in Muskoka, Ontario. "My hope is that the Five for 5 campaign will encourage students to participate in the 30 Hour Famine at Abbey Park as a means of supporting children around the world," said Burton. Come Sail Away....in support of Habitat for Humanity Halton Afternoon Luncheon & Cruise Evening Dinner Dance & Cruise FINAL WEEKEND Leather for your HOME COLLECTION Friday, June 18th 6:30 p.m. boarding Tickets $79/person Saturday, June 19th 12:30 p.m. boarding Tickets $65/person Saturday, June 19th 6:30 p.m. boarding Tickets $89/person Enjoy a buffet meal and live entertainment while sailing the Empire Sandy on Lake Ontario out of Bronte Harbour Order your tickets today.... www.oakvillekin.org or call 905-825-9434 Thank you to our sponsors: ALL Leather Furniture Is ON SALE PLUS WE PAY THE GST! In partnership with the Kinette Club of Oakville