"Welcome to Six Nations Community Awareness Week"

Victoria Day is May 18 this year and this welcomes the beginning of Six Nation's 27th Annual Community Awareness Week (CAW). With over 60 events planned for this year's Community Awareness Week, it is sure to be the best one yet.

Last year's events were comprised of traditional, educational and fun activities for families and individuals. From "Drug Awareness" by the Six Nations Police, to the "Big Bike for Heart and Stroke" by the Heart Health Committee, it's safe to say that last year set the bar high.

Former member of the Community Awareness Week Committee Connie Bomberry from Six Nations Lands and Resources says the CAW event has grown over the years.

"It's got more of the community departments, like the community businesses are involved more now," said Bomberry. "Each department still does their own event, but they add more so the community gets involved," Bomberry explained.

"Council decided in 1988 they wanted a community event where it would promote the council departments as to what is available to the community. So in May of '89 is when the first one was," Bomberry said. "It was a Social Services Committee that did it in the beginning."

Bomberry used to help with fundraising for the Community Awareness Committee. "I always did the 50/50's, and whenever we did the 50/S0s it was always over two thousand [dollars]," she said.

Bomberry explained that over the years the booklets offered to the community went from a book of flyers to compilations of pictures taken during the week.

Six Nations Lands and Resources will be hosting an open house for Community Awareness Week, giving out information and using displays to tell about what they do in the community. "It's just like a walk-through information thing, where we have our 50/50s here and door prizes. We have free hotdogs and hamburgs to try and get [the public] in here to gather information and to ask any questions."

She mentioned the Grand River Conservation Authority will be delivering trees to be offered to visitors, with a selection of one of five different kinds of trees as they leave the department.

With the collective efforts of the community, this year's Community Awareness Week will definitely be a memorable one.