Growing Wild Summer Camp
ACRA’s Annual Summer Camp was held at the Coombs Fairgrounds from July 14th 18th, welcoming seventeen campers for a week filled with fun and adventure. The children enjoyed a special visit from Barbara Smith and Nancy Gourlay, who brought their horses for a hands-on session in horse care and grooming. Throughout the week, campers participated in woodworking projects, gymnastics, cookie making, nature walks, games, and crafts. A highlight for many was the walk to French Creek, where everyone cooled off by dipping their toes and playing in the water. Later that day, the Arrowsmith Naturalists joined the group to teach the children about the plants, animals, and rocks they had discovered during their morning exploration. This year’s camp was lead by Recreation Coordinator Sandra Poelzer along with student leader Casey Ruemkins, who did a phenomenal job connecting with and supporting the campers.
Group of 3 children eating pancakes and drinking juice
Coombs Fair
At the 112th annual Coombs Fair, ACRA took the lead in the kitchen. Over the course of the two-day event hundreds of pancakes and burgers were flipped. This year’s event celebrated the theme of the sheep. The event was well-attended and thoroughly enjoyed by the community. It is always a pleasure to be able to support our community partners at their major events throughout the summer.
Hi Neighbour Day
This festive event was held on August 15-16ththis year, with live music and an exceptionally tall zucchini racing ramp. Due to the weather, the Friday night festivities were moved inside; however, the ACRA team was fortunate to avoid most of the rain for the Great Errington Zucchini Races on Saturday. Forty-eight zucchinis were entered in the event this year. Participants create their own mobile zucchini which can be harvested and built at home or made on site the morning of the event and then complete the day’s events with a race. Three ACRA team members, including an exceptional summer leader, attended the event this year to support the zucchini races.
Sole Sisters Walking Group
With the continued clear blue skies and sunshine, thirty walkers and seven leaders kicked off the Sole Sisters walking season on September 17th at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. Group participation continues to be strong since this first walk back. Throughout the fall, this group will explore various local trails from Nanoose Bay to Bowser. In addition to the seven walk leaders, a few select guest leaders share their expertise on various trails throughout the community. In response to a couple of leaders stepping back for personal reasons this fall, the Sole Sisters aim to add another walk leader this season.
Volunteer Fairs
In September, ACRA participated in two volunteer fairs hosted by SOS, one at the Parksville Community Centre and another at St. Stephen’s Church in Qualicum. The goal of these fairs was to give prospective volunteers an overview of the many opportunities available in the Oceanside area, while also providing local organizations a chance to network and connect. ACRA received a few expressions of interest from potential volunteers who left their contact information and enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the public and other organizations in town.
Community Cupboard
Thanks to the popularity of marimba programs running at the Errington War Memorial Hall, ACRA’s marimba rental program has been busy! As the start of fall programs began, many people extended their summer rentals or borrowed new marimbas. The instruments are available for home rental, and this program has been a surprisingly good addition to ACRA’s fundraising repertoire.