Local group of grandmothers set to participate in 'Stride to Turn the Tide' fundraising walk June 13
June 3, 2010
Kemptville EMC, by Ashley Kulp
EMC Events - Over 5,000 grandmothers, including North Gower's own 'Gorgeous Grannies & Friends' will be lacing up their walking shoes June 12 and 13 to help support African grandmothers caring for children orphaned by AIDS.
This year's local 'Stride to Turn the Tide' Flame to Flame walk, hosted by the Ottawa-Gatineau Region Grandmothers Network, will take over Parliament Hill on June 13 in aid of the Stephen Lewis Foundation's (SLF) 'Grandmothers to Grandmothers' campaign. The initiative was formed in 2006.
"Grandmothers and 'grand-others' across Canada are striding to collectively cover the 8,000 kilometres across Canada, always keeping in mind the 'Grandmothers to Grandmothers' campaign motto of 'We will not rest until they can rest,'" stated a press release from the 'Gorgeous Grannies.'
North Gower's 'Gorgeous Grannies' is fairly new to the campaign having been established this past spring by a group of like-minded women. They became inspired to take action after hearing about the stories of hard work by the African grandmothers.
"These brave women are burying their adult children who have died of HIV-AIDS, then raising their orphaned grandchildren," said the release. "...We were most impressed to learn that the SLF directs funds to community-level organizations in 15 sub-Saharan African countries that provide grandmothers with much needed support, such as food, housing grants, school fees for their grandchildren and grief counselling."
The 'Gorgeous Grannies' who chose their moniker as a play on words for 'North Gower,' are now part of the more than 220 groups of Canadian grandmothers who are pledging support to the 'Grandmothers to Grandmothers' campaign. Since 2006, more than $7 million has been raised.
"We wanted to find something original that hadn't been used before," member Pauline Field said of the group's name.
According to Field, who is relatively new to the North Gower area, she was looking for something in which she could get involved when she heard about the campaign.
"I'm a grandmother, so I can totally relate to the grandmothers on the other side of the world who are trying to raise their grandchildren themselves," she explained. "And I liked that the money goes directly to grassroots activities. That spoke to me."
At this year's walk which gets underway at 10 a.m. at the Centennial Flame on the Hill, to show solidarity walkers will be donning brightly coloured African scarves made by women in South Africa.
Made of cotton material, the images on them are inspired by the South African tribes and their cultures. The 'Gorgeous Grannies' invite anyone who shares in the concerns of African grandmothers to come and participate in the walk. Order of Canada recipient Greta Hale will serve as guest speaker at the event.
To find out more about the 'Stride to Turn the Tide' fundraising walk, please visit www.grandmotherscampaign.org/nationalwalk.html. Pledges to the cause can also be made online.
UPCOMING FUNDRAISING EVENT
To garner even more support for the 'Grandmothers to Grandmothers' campaign, the 'Gorgeous Grannies' will be holding a Kazuri Jewelry fundraising sale this October.
Kazuri Jewelry is handmade, hand-painted ceramic jewelry crafted in Nairobi, Kenya. Each bead in the creations is shaped, polished and painted by hand, making all pieces exceptionally unique.
While the 'Gorgeous Grannies & Friends' currently have seven members, Field encourages other area grandmothers or 'grand-others' to jump on the bandwagon. New members are welcome.
"I admire Stephen Lewis so greatly and what he's doing to eradicate AIDS and I think most others in our group do as well," Field concluded.
For more information on the group or their upcoming fundraising event, please email Pauline Field at pafield@gmail.com.