Airdrie Lioness Club President Rhonda Auclair has put a bunch of miles on her car in the past week but she's been happy to do it.

Yesterday (June 28) Auclair gave two more donations to community groups in Airdrie on behalf of the Lioness Club.  That brings the total donations given in the past week by the service club to $17,000 for six community groups.

First up yesterday was the Airdrie Boy's and Girl's Club who received a cheque for $500 which, according to Cassandra Clem, Director of Programs and Services, will be used for the Kaleidoscope Program.  

"For our children that are involved in the Kaleidoscope Program, each year we support different summer camp activities based on the themes.  With this donation specifically I think we're going to be able to focus in on some of those different types of sensory toys to be able to provide them to our kids during the summer camps times."

Clem explains that the Kaleidoscope Program supports children with special needs that the Boy's and Girl's Club works with.  

"During our summer camp season we support 110 kids per week.  We do things throughout our club location and we also take three out trips.  During that time it can be extremely over stimulating for some of our children that we support, we try not to turn away any children with special needs or support that they may require that's a little extra. We said the relationship that these kids have with staff is so important.  We hired two staff full time for the summer with a background of supporting children with special needs.  It's our first year running it and these staff are going to be supporting our group of children within that program."

Rhonda Auclair presents the Boy's and Girl's Club cheque to Cassandra Clem and some enthusiastic kids

The second donation yesterday went to the Rotary Festival of the Performing Arts.  The Lionesses asked that the $1,000 provided to that group be used for scholarships, which Acting President Todd McKinnon says will happen.  

"We have a pool of money that is scholarships that we give to kids at the festival.  Last year we gave a total of 52 scholarships to different kids based on the class that they're in and the discipline that they play in.  We have a provincial scholarships that's $100 and that goes towards helping the kids go to the provincial competition in Edmonton.  Then we have local scholarships that go to kids that did well at the festival but didn't go on to the provincials and we thought they deserve the recognition.  Those scholarships range from $50 to $100."

McKinnon too is thankful for the money received from the Lioness Club.  "We appreciate any money that we can get and we really like the community groups to get involved with their money.  We like to work together and partner with other donors."

This is the second time in the six year history of the festival that the Lioness Club have donated money.

 

Read More:

Airdrie Lioness Club Gives Back To The Community

Lioness Club Makes Donation to ADVAS, Food Bank

 

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