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GAZETTE NORTH ISLAND
Publications Mail Agreement No. 391275
46th Year No. 10 THURS., MARCH 8, 2012
EDITORIAL Page 6
LETTERS Page 7
www.northislandgazette.com NORTH ISLAND LIFE Page 15
SPORTS Page 13-14
Set your clocks ahead one hour Sunday, Mar. 11 Newsstand $1.25 + HST CLASSIFIEDS Page 17-19
To Brian: One step at a time — love, dad Mike D’Amour Gazette staff Bill Ray wants to raise $50,000 to make children’s wishes come true — and he plans to do it one step at a time. The 49-year-old Maple Ridge man began a 650km journey last week that began in Port Hardy and is scheduled to finish in Burnaby at the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada “I’m hoping I can get a dollar from every working person between here and Burnaby so I can reach my goal,” said Ray, who lost his son, Brian, 15 years ago to cancer. “He died when he was just nine-years-old,” said the dad, whose eyes become red with emotion while talking about his boy. The Children’s Wish Foundation made it possible for Brian to visit Disneyland before he died. “It meant everything to him,” Ray said. “He got to play with the dolphins and do other things during his week there.” Ray said he never forgot that kindness weeks before his son passed away and
wants to do something for the foundation that helped Brian realize his dream. “It’s just something I gotta do to give back,” said Ray. “I’m doing it in Brian’s honour and of course to honour the children who are still fighting to beat their cancers.” It’s fitting, perhaps, that he is starting his trek at the beginning of March, which has been designated as Children’s Wish month. “This is a very personal healing thing for him, as well as supporting the Children’s’ Wish Foundation,” said Kim Antiffaef, fundraising coordinator for the foundation. Each year, thousands of Canadian children between the ages of three and 17 are diagnosed with a life threatening illness. This year the Children’s Wish Foundation expects to grant 1,000 new wishes. While the foundation is proud of the fact it never once turned down a child, it can use donations. “We definitely are in need and have kids waiting for wishes all the time,” said Antiffaef. With only a knapsack filled with clothing and an
Bill Ray is walking about 650-km in memory of his son and to raise funds and awareness for the Children’s Wish Foundation. Mike D’Amour photo “But I want to raise aware- learn more about it — can He’ll make his way to extra pair of New Balance runners, Ray started his Victoria, then to the ferry ness about the Children’s do so securely online by trek south from Port Hardy before he walks the last leg Wish Foundation and raise logging on at www.wishmonth.ca, and then clickfunds for it.” Thursday and plans to get of his journey to Burnaby. Those wishing to donate ing on Brian’s Walk for “I’ve never done anything on the old Island Highway to Ray’s cause — and to Wishes. like this,” said Ray. from Campbell River.
Now so easy to publicize community events Maybe you’ve noticed our new online calendar at www.northislandgazette.com. It’s definitely not the old one, but it is better and much easier to use. Our online calendar is a great way to create buzz about your organization or your event. If you do have an event or function you wish publicized on the North Island — or anywhere Black Press has a paper — this is the place to do it.
The new calendar requires no login or password, and the form to submit an item is super easy to use. You can designate where — and when — you wish the calendar item to appear within the region’s Black Press B.C. family of websites. You can also spread the word about your event to Facebook and Twitter from our calendar and, of course, it’s free.
There’s even a spot for an image, say a rehearsal photo from a high school play. Someone here in the Gazette newsroom will check each item before it posts, just to make sure it complies with our simple guidelines which lead off the submission form. Basically, please don’t post a businessoriented sale. And by the way — did we mention it’s dead simple to use?
Our new, reader friendly calendar
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