> Lions generate nearly 30,000 lbs of food = 40,000 meals for CCWN, Pg 19 > GAMRU event fills Beamsville Legion Pg. 3 > 1,000 attend Grimsby Fire open house Pg. 6 > Smithville Fox run successful Pg. 7 Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 Vol. 4 Issue 16
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Fox fundraiser
Team Vyn - (L to R) Mary Vyn, Carol-Ann Koevoets, Teresa Huinink, Deb Voortman, Luke, Eric and Tyler Huinink go through some warm-ups to prepare for last Sunday’s Terry Fox Run, which started at the Peach King Centre. The group was running in memory of Peter Vyn. Please see Page 5 for details on the event. Williscraft - Photo
Up Front Doors Open in Grimsby this weekend Grimsby Historical Society’s Archives, located in the Carnegie building at Ontario and Adelaide streets, will have their 2016 vintage streetscape calendars on sale this weekend as part of the Doors Open event. A host of Grimsby businesses and organizations will participate in the event from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Main Street in the core will be closed for a classic car show and Lord of the Wings contest. There will be lots of live music, too.
Five decades of community service Grimsby Benevolent Fund turns 50
By Mike Williscraft NewsNow If one speaks with anyone from the Grimsby Benevolent Fund – staff, volunteers, customers or clients – one thing is certain: none will be at a loss for great stories to tell. This Saturday, GBF marks its 50th anniversary with an open house at its 40 Elm Street location from noon to 4 p.m. It is important to note the address because, if you’ve been around for a while you might go to one of its previous nine locations around town such as 80 Main St. W., or John Street, the South Service Road
or 21 Main St. E. just to name a few. What started out as an effort by founder Mike Barretto to coordinate several organizations which were duplicating the provision of Christmas hampers in the early 1960s, soon took on a life of its own. “That’s all it was at the start, to coordinate the hampers,” recalled Grace Roberts, who was one of the original volunteers who worked side by side with Barretto from the start. “Mike was involved with St. Vincent de Paul then and the grocery stores,
Legion and churches were all doing Christmas hampers, so he thought it would be a good idea to coordinate that. We started a registry and the sorting was done at the Legion, but we quickly outgrew that.” As someone who saw the GBF grow from a hamper program to a multi-pronged social service safety net, Roberts said it was drive, determination and energy of Barretto which made it all happen. “Mike was a leader, pure and simple. He worked very hard and he got people involved, even his own family.” GBF executive director Stacy Elia said See GBF, Page 2
For features, photos and details of GBF’s anniversary open house, please turn to NewsNow’s feature section, Pages 11-16