Volunteers a vital part of cancer fundraiser

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/04/2012 (4970 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On the last day of March, two enterprising Royalwood sisters took advantage of the warm spring weather, selling glasses of Tang for 25 cents to thirsty neighbours and passersby.

Jessica and Jaden Loeppky, ages nine and three, were stationed in their front yard with a bright orange sign. They are no strangers to sales and marketing. “We’ve done orange juice, lemonade, and pink lemonade stands before. We make about $10 to $20 each time”, Jessica says.

The Loeppky sisters have a goal in mind — pet ownership. Jaden would like a cat, and Jessica would like either a frog or a dog. “I would name my cat Jay”, Jaden says. “If I had a frog, I would name it Bugsy, but if I had a dog, her name would be Biscuit”, Jessica adds.

As the temperature rises, keep watching for the Loeppky sisters in Royalwood and quench your thirst with a great community tradition!

 Royalwood’s Three Musketeers of Fundraising are fighting against cancer for Daffodil Month this April in the Canadian Cancer Society’s 55th annual residential campaign.

Doug Betz, Corrina Swiddle, and Dave Pomarenski are all Royalwood poll captains, area leaders who organize volunteer canvassers in their neighbourhood. In addition, they go door-to-door themselves.

“We have about 30 volunteer canvassers in Royalwood during the month of April”, says Lynda Ruban, manager of personal giving for the Cancer Society.

“We appreciate the time and hard work of our Three Musketeers. Each one brought their commitment to the fight against cancer into the community as they moved from other areas. These volunteers provide an important community link.”  

In Manitoba, the society’s goal is to raise $700,000. The money is used to fund research, programming and services for the 6,100 Manitobans diagnosed with cancer each year.

When asked what keeps them motivated, Betz replies, “I had lymphoma in 1993 and I want to help other people going through what I went through”.  

Swiddle adds, “You never know when it’s going to happen to someone close to you.”

“It’s a great to get out and meet people in the neighbourhood”, Pomarenski says.

Daffodil Day is April 27 with daffodil pins available for a small donation. To support the Canadian Cancer Society and find a pin location, visit www.fightback.ca.

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 Many Royalwood residents enjoy our neighbourhood trails, including the Bois-des-Esprits. With the arrival of spring, trails can develop depressions or potholes. Paved trails can become cracked.

The Winnipeg Trails Association is a coalition of volunteer trail builders and trail users who are focused on accelerating trail development and connectivity in Winnipeg.

The association recommends reporting maintenance issues on community trails by calling 311 and by contacting your city councillor. For more information, visit www.winnipegtrails.ca.

Tanya Misseghers is a community correspondent for Royalwood. She can be contacted at tanya.royalwood@gmail.com.