Nepean resident prepares for March of Dimes
Posted Jan 12, 2012 By Jennifer McIntoshEMC News - Despite frigid January temperatures, Nepean resident Ruby Elver is gearing up to begin campaigning for the March of Dimes in her neighbourhood.
Elver has been with the March of Dimes for more than five years and also canvasses for the Arthritis Society and the Canadian Cancer Society. Originally from the Shelburne and Orangeville, Ont. area, Elver said she remembers when her mother and other adults in the community would line up dimes in the street to fight polio.
"I think that's why I decided to volunteer," she said. "It means something to me." Originally intended to be used as a way to fundraise and find a cure for polio, after the vaccine was developed, the organization's mandate grew, including centres for people who had already contracted the disease and then later to serve the broader needs of all adults with physical disabilities. January is March of Dimes month, and it's the 61st year the people from across the province will go door to door to raise money for the charity's programs and services. One of the programs served by the fundraiser is the assisted devices program - which helps people with disabilities with the purchase of equipment like wheelchairs and canes or crutches.
According to a press release from the March of Dimes, the devices program provided $20,000 in funding to Ottawa-area residents last year.
"Our goal is to raise $23,000 in Nepean," said Mary Lynne Stewart, director of fund development and communication for March of Dimes Canada. "This year the organization has recruited more than 8,000 volunteers to help fundraise (across the province)." This year there is also an online component that allows canvassers to electronically walk their block in support of the campaign.
Volunteers can register at www.mymod.ca/doortodoor Elver was out the first weekend of January and said it's a great way to get to know her neighbours.
"I will keep doing it for as long as I can," she said.
jennifer.mcintosh@metroland.com
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