On September 18, On Track Kuntz & Co. will be hosting the Charity Golf Classic in support of the Kidney Foundation of Northern Alberta and Territories.
This fall marks On Track’s 30 year anniversary, and they want to celebrate their history and exciting plans for the future. Their goal was to host an event and provide thanks for the years of support, where the local community, their customers, and their suppliers can all come together.
Almost immediately, Tyler Priest, the chief financial officer at On Track, thought about getting the Kidney Foundation on board to support a great cause Tyler commented, “It’s going to be a lot more meaningful (to support them).” He called Flavia (Kidney Foundation executive director) and she jumped at the opportunity right away.
On Track is well known for giving back to the community and this is a cause that is near and dear to them, both on a business and personal level. Tyler and his wife have been longtime supporters of the Kidney Foundation by participating in
their walks or by donating money.
This organization hits close to home for Tyler as his wife Katerina has polycystic kidney disease that’s taken numerous members of her family. It can be managed to an extent with healthy living and diet, but there is a strong chance that treatment, or organ donation will be needed in the future. There is no cure for this hereditary condition and there is a high likelihood of passing it down to children.
Tyler said, “That’s been my motivation behind supporting the Kidney Foundation. They also do phenomenal work.” He continued, “Flavia and her team are just the most passionate and driven people, which is really amazing.”
On Track is a company that supports the community and gives back where they can. They have been one of the Kidney Foundation’s best supporters for many years and are one of the main charities they focus on.
Romonda Kuntz, On Track president, said, “It was through James’s (Kuntz) family that we were connected to the Kidney Foundation. His aunt donated her organs
Driving fore change on the green
when she passed away and a local person in Camrose received her kidney. She got to live extra years that she didn’t have because of that donation.”
Romonda had kidney stones about 15 years ago that resulted in serious complications. It caused enough damage that even after five surgeries, it left her kidney basically nonfunctional, leaving her to rely on one kidney. Romonda explained, “I have to be more careful in life now. I’m very conscious of that and you can live successfully on one kidney and be well.”
The golf classic will be a fun opportunity for local businesses to enter a corporate team to network and team build or to gather family and friends for a day on the golf course. For those who aren’t necessarily golfers, but want to participate, On Track has come up with a creative alternative.
The Kidney Cup Lawn Olympics will feature fun games, friendly competition, a steak lunch and more. This event is all about having fun at the golf course. Throughout the event there will be all kinds of surprises from games, to giveaways and prizes.
Continued on page 22
It is a puzzlement Summer is the season of things done for sheer enjoyment. One of my things is puzzles. Crosswords, Sudoku, Ken Ken, Logic Puzzles, Jumbles, Word Search – I enjoy them all. Sitting on a shady patio puttering over a puzzle, it occurred to me that puzzles are relevant to life.
The pattern
In puzzles, as in life, there’s a pattern to finding solutions. First you notice the easy things, you fill in the easy words, the easy numbers. That feels good. Each time you add one more word or one more number, you notice something you didn’t see before. Each small answer reveals another small answer. You’re on a roll. In puzzles and in life, each step opens the door to something you couldn’t see before.
And then there’s the impasse. You’ve solved the easy parts. What’s left is not obvious. You look at it, reread the clues, nothing jumps out at you. You’re stuck. Sometimes you pause, look away, look back, notice one small thing and you’re back on a roll. But sometimes you really are stuck stuck stuck.
I’ve learned that in puzzles and in life, if “stuck” lasts more than a few minutes, the best thing to do is take a break. When you come back, you nearly always see something obvious that you didn’t see before. Often that leads to a solution.
Optimum challenge
In puzzles and in life, there’s an optimum level of difficulty. Easy enough to be solved, but not so easy that it’s boring or even insulting. Hard enough that it’s a stretch, but not so hard that it’s overwhelming.
In a book called In Over Our Heads, Robert Kegan talks about how to foster young men moving from adolescent self-centredness to the adult ability to look after the well-being of others. Kegan talks about “an ingenious combination of challenge and support.”
In puzzles and in life, to help yourself or another person grow to their next level, set a challenge that’s somewhat beyond their ability and provide enough (not too much) support so they’re not overwhelmed. The challenge has to be worthy. For example, even teenagers who dislike reading will pore over the driver’s manual to get a driver’s licence – a worthy challenge. Too much of a good thing
Doing puzzles is fun when it’s a short break. I know I’m in trouble when a deadline is looming and I’m doing my third Sudoku on the way to a fourth Crossword.
I’ve learned to tell the difference – when puzzles are a harmless diversion, and when they’re becoming an addiction. In puzzles and in life, “just one more” can be dangerous.
Mistakes aren’t always obvious at first
In puzzles as in life, sometimes the impact of an early mistake doesn’t show up until later. There you are on the second-last number or word and discover that – oh no! – there’s a mistake. And no, just changing one number or letter won’t fix it. You have to go right back to the beginning and start over.
Not like real life
One way puzzles are not like real life is, in a puzzle when you discover a mistake, you can erase what you’ve done and start over. That’s not true in real life. What’s done is done and you can’t push a “reset” button. Pity.
Another way puzzles are not like real life is probably one reason I enjoy them so much: Unlike real life, puzzles actually have a correct solution.
In the musical The King and I, at one point the king sings a song about how, when he was a boy, right was right and wrong was wrong and facts were facts. But as an adult, many things are not so clear. The punchline of the song is, “It is a puzzlement.”
As adults in a tumultuous world, we face many situations that seem not to have a solution – just choices and consequences – and consequences are unpredictable.
Much of real life is not a puzzle. It is a puzzlement! ***
I’d love to hear from you. If you have comments about this column or suggestions for future topics, email Bonnie@BonnieHutchinson.com.
I’ll happily reply within one business day.
Students’ protest
Last month in June there were student protests outside of the high school and along the main road by the high school.
The result of these protests was the start of an investigation into these serious concerns which was brought out to
light by these protests. The Police investigated and found a group chat which were attacking females online.
There has to be a better system in place to monitor such online activity. This is very disturbing to see happen in our society.
I would like to thank
all those who took the time to bring this to the attention of the police and to the School Board as well to the society as a whole. Your brave actions, I hope, will bring about positive change to this very important issue.
Lorne
Vanderwoude, Camrose
Adan Shaikh, Camrose Booster Main St. Dental Hygiene marked their grand opening day with a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 18. From left, Jacob Berger; Brad Berger; Mayor PJ Stasko; Christina Berger, owner of Main St. Dental Hygiene; and Brady Berger. Missing from the photo is Christina’s son Caleb Berger.
Adan Shaikh, Camrose Booster
From left,
Corbett.
Giving while living, the power of donating an organ
By Nadine Leming
The Kidney Foundation of Canada collaborates with the Living Donor Circle of Excellence program (CoE). The CoE honours pioneering employers who champion employees who choose to be living donors. These companies do more than change lives, they demonstrate models of care and responsibility.
Financial concerns should never stand in the way of someone providing the gift of life. There are many people needing a lifesaving transplant that have willing donors. These donors often face lost income and out of pocket expenses that they need to consider before giving the gift of life.
Although programs exist to help provide some financial assistance including Kidney Foundation programs, lost wages continue to pose an obstacle. CoE members remove the barrier by guaranteeing that living donors receive at least 80 per cent of their usual pay while they heal from giving a major organ like a kidney.
The number of people waiting for an organ is much higher than the number of donated organs leading to longer wait times to a donor average of three to four years or more. Organizations nationwide are taking action and joining the Kidney Foundation to support the sacrifices and contributions of living donors.
The gift and impact of living donors is felt by the recipient and their families and friends for many years.
On Track is very proud to participate in this program and encourage other businesses to consider to support their staff to become living donors.
For more information on the Circle of Excellence program, go to https://kidney.ca/en/get-involved/be-anorgan-donor/living-donor-circle-of-excellence
G i ve the gift of li f e . Fill out your donor card.
• Betty Irving brought home five medals for her work in the Visual Arts & Crafts Competition from the 2001 Alberta Seniors’ Games in Lethbridge. She ear ned a gold medal for her entry in the three hand knitted article afghan and a gold for her entry in the four hand knitted article (TC/BS) category In addition, her entries attracted three silver medals in the crocheted (LG Flat) cotton/yar n, crocheted clothing and soft toys categories.
• Barry Galenza, owner of Groves’ Value Drug Mart, and Mickey Thompson, who manages the Hallmark greeting card section at Groves’, accepted the 2000 Social Expression of the Year Award from Hallmark representative Warren Becker. Groves’ was selected out of all Value Drug Mart stores across Canada to receive the award, which is based on a number of criteria including sales growth.
• Lanette Prediger, a second year Phar macy Student at the University of Alberta, was named winner of the 2001 National Canadian Association of Phar macy Students and Inter ns Student Literary Challenge. She received the top prize of $1,000 at Personal Development Week in Saskatoon. Lanette is the daughter of Dianne and Gerald Prediger in Camrose.
• Paul Prefontaine was named Number One in Personal Production for Loyal Protective Life Insurance in Alberta for the second year running. Paul was ninth in production, both in Canada and the U.S.A., which again gave him President’s Club status in 1975. Only seventeen agents in Canada and U.S.A. qualified for this status.
• The Canadian National Junior Angus Heifer Show, held in Bashaw, attracted 75 entries from as far away as Nova Scotia as well as several entries from Nebraska. Gover nment dignitaries and interestd spectators from across Canada, the United States, Australia and Denmark were on hand for the activities. The 4-H Heifer Class was captured by Fred Wegenast of Galahad, with Reserve honours going to brother Lee Wegenast, also of Galahad. Owned Heifer Champ was exhibited by Rod Tate of New Norway Debbie Moltzahn of Bashaw entered the Junior Calf Champ.
• In 1901, three Lyseng brothers – Erik, Albert and Knut – came to the Ar mena area and bought 4,000 acres of land. Then they went back to the States and prepared to move their families. In 1902, they arrived to stay When Knut passed away in 1932, he was the last survivor of the three original brothers and left 101 descendants. Now, 75 years later (1976), there are approximately 1,150 living descendants and an estimated 400 of them are expected to congregate in Camrose for a reunion
Canada invests in Camrose
Submitted
A strong Canadian economy relies on an inclusive workforce where everyone has the opportunity to participate and succeed. However, many Canadians still face barriers to meaningful employment and prevents them from fully contributing their talents and skills.
To help create a stronger, and more inclusive Canada, the Government supports a variety of programs that provide employment and skills training opportunities. These investments help provide people facing barriers with opportunities to gain the tools, experience and support they need to enter the workforce and achieve their full potential.
On July 22, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of industry, Karim Bardeesy, highlighted federal investments to Camrose Open Door Association and Camrose Association for Community Living that allow them to provide personalized supports to youth and persons with disabilities facing barriers to employment.
Through Employment and Social Development Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) program, Camrose Open Door Association is receiving $1 million to assist 200 youth facing barriers to employment to develop the skills and gain the experiences they need to find and keep quality jobs.
Additionally, Camrose Association for Community Living is receiving $526,736 through the Government of Canada’s Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities to help 36 youth with disabilities prepare for, find and maintain employment or become self-employed, enabling them to earn their own income and become more independent.
By investing in community organizations, the Government of Canada is helping individuals overcome barriers to employment and access the support they need to build successful, meaningful careers. These efforts contribute to a more inclusive workforce while enabling more Canadians to reach their goals and full potential.
“Organizations like Camrose Open Door Association and Camrose Association for Community Living are helping people overcome barriers to employment and lead better lives. These invest
ments will strengthen their ability to provide the supports and services that connect people with quality jobs and give them greater economic independence,” said Bardeesy.
