Most people know Christie Lake Kids as a free overnight summer camp full of adventure and outdoor fun, but what some people don’t know is that it’s much s’more than that.
The 100-year-old non-profit organization also runs year-round programming, both after school and on the weekends to help children and youth gain valuable life skills through recreational activities they couldn’t otherwise afford. It’s the kind of fun stuff that many parents sign their kids up for without batting an eye, whether it’s hockey and soccer or art and cooking classes.
CLK’s STAR (Skills Through Arts & Recreation) Program was the focus of the 11th annual An Unlikely Pairing: Adventures in Food Trucks + Fine Wines gala held Thursday night at the Infinity Convention Centre. Some 250 attendees came out to help raise a net total of $140,000.
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Honourary gala chair Scott Parkes remembers a time when his three kids were knee-deep in extracurricular activities. He and his wife, Tracy Rait-Parkes, came to fully appreciate that some families faced financial barriers preventing them from having the same kind of access.
“We really did feel like all kids should have the same opportunity,” Parkes, president of Tamarack Developments and Tartan Homes, told OBJ.social. “I wanted to support Christie Lake Kids because it’s an organization that’s out there trying its best to really make sure it happens.”
CLK executive director Adrienne Vienneau said it’s been “a blessing” to have the support of Parkes, who’s made a “huge impact” by helping to grow An Unlikely Pairing from a small event, which raised $30,000 in its first year, into the six-figure fundraiser that it is today. “He’s just incredible,” said Vienneau. “He has a really big heart and is a generous, kind human being.”
Parkes became aware of the non-profit organization when the late Toni Guimarães came to speak to local home builders many years ago about the work CLK does in the community. Guimarães, co-founder of Altis Recruitment and ExcelHR, didn’t grow up with much but he did thrive as a CLK camper, prior to becoming a successful business owner with his wife, Kathryn Tremblay. She continues to sponsor the gala each year in memory of Guimarães, who passed from cancer in 2016 at age 51.
Parkes was joined at the event by his cousin, CLK board member Julie Taggart, president of Taggart Realty Management, and two dinner tables’ worth of family members, many of whom are part of the family-owned Taggart Group of Companies. Their non-profit Taggart Parkes Foundation is the presenting sponsor of An Unlikely Pairing.
There was gourmet street food from Angry Dragonz, East India Company, Yakko Takko, Green Papaya and Cinnaholic, matched with a selection of wines.
Spotted in the crowd was former Ottawa Senators player Chris Phillips, who’s the new vice president of operations for the hockey club, hanging out with Deloitte vice chair Mark Noonan. Coun. Tim Tierney from Beacon Hill-Cyrville was supporting the cause. So were such long-time CLK volunteers as Mike McTaggart from natural gas company Enbridge, and Amdocs director Geof Dudding. He volunteers as a mentor with CLK’s leadership in training program (Amdocs was recently recognized with a VOscar Award from Volunteer Ottawa for its long-standing relationship with CLK).
There are currently 600 kids taking part in the STAR Program. It runs out of 10 community spaces located in six hard-hit Ottawa neighbourhoods. The demand is so great that CLK could easily expand into more neighbourhoods, if the funding was available, said Vienneau.
STAR differs from drop-in programs because the children and youth are exclusively from low-income households and are required to register in order to participate. If they don’t show up, CLK will pay a friendly visit.
Vienneau says CLK enjoys a complementary relationship with other social services organizations, such as BGC (Boys and Girls Club) Ottawa. They each work at making a positive difference in the lives of vulnerable children and youth, she said. “I want them to do their thing and be very successful and I want to do our thing and be very successful because, if we’re doing it well, we’re blanketing all kinds of kids and spreading out our programs and services as much as possible.”
STAR focuses on helping children and youth build life skills that can help them at home, at school, in the community or in their jobs, said Vienneau, who joined the organization seven months ago after years of working in communications at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
“I came from CHEO, which is a beloved brand, and I feel so honoured to be with an equally beloved brand,” said Vienneau, who often bumps into people with a strong bond with CLK.
“Every single place that I go, somebody knows Christie Lake Kids. When you’re lucky enough to work at a non profit that’s been around for 100 years, you meet so many people who have worked at our camp or have gone to or volunteered in our programs,” said Vienneau, who recently created quite a stir in a grocery store line-up when fellow customers noticed her CLK T-shirt and wanted to share with her their stories and connections to the organization. “There’s a rich history there.”
Crowds gathered earlier this year at Ottawa city hall to celebrate the proclamation of Aug. 16th as Christie Lake Kids Day in honour of its 100-year anniversary.
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