https://www.casinorama.com/index.html

http://trilliumfoundation.org/

http://www.dundeewealth.com/adv/orillia_6636.html

Orillia, Ontario – Are you looking for a fun way to engage your employees, association or group in rallying to support a charity or cause of your choice?  Through the Orillia Dragon Boat Festival, you can do just that!

The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area will host the 5th Annual Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, September 25, 2010. Over the past four years, the festival has seen over $200,000 in cash pledged to local charities, in addition to over $100,000 of in-kind donations.

“Dragon Boat Festivals are a great way to encourage teamwork, unity and team spirit – all while having fun and giving back to the community,” said Wendy Timpano, Executive Director of the Community Foundation.

Last year’s Festival saw 29 teams participate and organizers hope to see that number increase to 40 teams this year.  They have already been contacted by eight potential new teams, consisting mainly of groups and businesses that simply want to get involved and support the community.
“Increasing the number of teams in the festival, will result in more pledges and support for local charities and causes in our community.  Ultimately, this is what we hope to accomplish.” added Timpano.

Although Dragon Boat racing has its roots in Chinese tradition, these festivals reflect Canada’s multi-cultural heritage through teamwork and unity.  Participants in the Orillia Dragon Boat Festival have ranged in age from 14 years to 98 years.  Anyone can become part of this 2400-year-old tradition, which has become one of Canada’s fastest growing sports.

Further information and team registration packages are available through the Foundation office by calling 705.259.1163 or emailing info@communityfoundationorillia.ca.

The Apprentice’s are a group of family and friends who have formed a Dragon Boat Team to honour the late Bob Fletcher.  As a result of pledges earned through the festival and through memorial donations, the team has been able to create The Apprenticeship Bursary Fund through the Community Foundation of Orillia & Area.

“The group decided on a Dragon Boat team because in racing you require both solidarity and hard work to be successful.  These are traits that he both reflected and admired.” said Bob’s grandson Scott Barker.

The Apprenticeship Bursary Fund is meant to assist apprenticing students with their day to day costs so that they can focus on learning.

Bob worked as an electrician for over 50 years in the Orillia area. As a hard working, honest and reliable man, Bob was an excellent and tough teacher to those he mentored and taught.  Bob had many apprentices during his time as an electrician and has been described by many as having instilled in them a remarkable work ethic and a commitment to the job that all employers wish to see.

The Apprenticeship Bursary Fund is one of 17 endowment funds held and managed by the Community Foundation of Orillia & Area.

Some time later, Jim, along with Ken Koyama, Publisher of the Packet & Times, and Pat Campbell, Casino Rama, formed a Steering Committee, secured operating funding from the Casino, and hired the Foundation’s first Executive Director, Deborah Wagner.  The Foundation was officially launched on January 7, 1999, with a $200,000 gift from Casino Rama establishing the Foundation’s Community Unrestricted Fund.  The Casino issued a challenge to the Foundation to match that amount by the end of the year and they would gift another $150,000.  The City of Orillia, Georgian College, local groups and organizations, and members of the general public, all came to the table to ensure the challenge was met.  At the completion of that deadline, the Foundation had more than $450,000 in endowed assets.  Quite an exciting start to the Foundation’s History!
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By the end of 2009, the Community Foundation of Orillia & Area had provided close to $270,000 in grants to a wide range of local charities.

Random Act of Kindness Day is a day to celebrate those little niceties and encourage others to pay those “acts of kindness” forward.

“We live in an amazing community where so much kindness happens every day. Let’s take a moment to not only recognize when someone does something nice for us, but to also do something nice in return,” says Wendy Timpano, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Orillia & Area.

Friday, November 13 will be the inaugural Random Act of Kindness Day in our area.  Before that date, cards will be circulated throughout the community.  The cards will encourage the cardholder to perform a simple act of kindness for someone – a neighbour, a friend, a co-worker, or someone they don’t even know – and hand the card over to that person – encouraging him/her to do the same.

There are many different types of action that people can use as their kind act – buy someone a coffee, congratulate someone on a job well done, act as a sounding board for another, even something as simple as holding open a door for someone with their hands full – each act provides us with an opportunity to connect with a member of our community.

Rick Rimkey, President of R & F Construction Inc. – Disaster Kleenup is the lead sponsor of this year’s Random Act of Kindness Day and says “Random Act of Kindness Day is directly in line with what we believe in here at our company”.

Random acts of kindness are a great way to touch the life of another person and make our community and our world a better place.

Random Act of Kindness cards will be available at the Community Foundation of Orillia & Area, located in the Dundee Wealth office, 27 Coldwater St. E. For more information, please call 705-259-1163.

“Carry out an act of kindness, with no expectation of reward or punishment. Safe in the knowledge that one day, someone somewhere might do the same for you.” Princess Diana

Community Foundations of Canada
http://www.cfc-fcc.ca/

Information Orillia
http://www.informationorillia.org/

Orillia & Area Community Development Corporation
http://www.orilliacdc.com/

Orillia Chamber of Commerce
http://www.orillia.com/

Ramara Chamber of Commerce
http://www.ramarachamber.com/

Oro-Medonte Chamber of Commerce
http://oromedontecc.com/

Communities in our area:

City of Orillia
http://www.city.orillia.on.ca/

Township of Oro-Medonte
http://www.oro-medonte.ca/

Chippewas of Rama First Nations
http://www.ramafirstnation.ca/index.asp

Township of Ramara
http://www.township.ramara.on.ca/

Township of Severn
http://www.townshipofsevern.com/

The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area
Telephone:  705-259-1163
Email: info@communityfoundationorillia.ca

Office Location:
We are thankful for the generous support of Dundee Wealth
in providing us with an office inside their building at
27 Coldwater St. E., Orillia, ON   L3V 7A3

Mailing Address:
Orillia Station Main, P.O. Box 622, Orillia, ON L3V 6K5

Reg. Charitable No.  86803 8951 RR0001

How to get started
Charities who are registered with Canada Revenue Agency may start a charitable endowment fund with the Community Foundation of Orillia & Area with a minimum contribution of $10,000 over 3 years.

For more information on both Charitable Endowment Funds and Managed Funds, please call 705.259.1163 or email info@communityfoundationorillia.ca.