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THE VOICE of Pelham Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Knitters dolls protect medical supplies
Page 7
Pelham’s independent news source from the Heart of Niagara
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Pearl Grewal, left, explains a doll’s dress she knitted. Along with June Bond, she is a member of the TGIF Craft Afternoon group. It meets each Friday at the Fonthill branch of the Pelham Public Library. Wayne Campbell/Voice Photo
BY WAYNE CAMPBELL
for the VOICE Their laugher and chatter broke the normal quiet a Friday afternoon at the library. Meeting in a back section about a dozen knitters with their fingers steadily moving talk about their craft and exchanged a few yarns. The TGIF Craft Afternoon from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. usually draws about 12 of its 20 members, said Elaine Anderson, of the Pelham Public Library. “Usually they meet in the Festival Room, but something else is going on in there today.” In addition to yarn, the craft exchange includes beading, scrapbooking, stamping and fabric trading. Most of the knitters have enjoyed these sessions for years. They turn their skills to causes as well as making gifts for family and friends. They have made dolls clothes and as-
sisted service clubs. Through Project Linus (Charlie Brown’s blanket-carrying friend) they knitted baby blankets for children in McMaster Children’s Hospital. Now they are knitting Izzy Dolls for Health Partners International of Canada. The comfort dolls are used as packing material around medical supplies sent to West Africa, Iraq and Gaza. Health Partners send Physician Travel Packs, filled with treatment items donated by Canadian health care companies, to developing countries. Doctors and nurses who receive the supplies will give the handmade packing dolls to their youngest patients. For some children, it is their first toy. Each year, groups across Canada, such as TGIF knitters, provide 12,000 dolls to Health Partners. “It’s just a lot of fun,” said Pearl Grewal about the Friday knitting sessions. “We know how to laugh.” The group has also gone by the name Knit Wits.
Police launch Operation “School Zones” This past Tuesday, members of the Niagara Regional Police Service were out in full force in the Regions school zones in order to remind drivers and pedestrians of students return to school. As students head back to school, there will be change on the roadways with school buses, pedestrians and vehicles making their return for another school year. The NRPS would like to remind everyone of the need to follow the rules of the road for everyone’s safety. Every officer working Tuesday participated in the annual Back to School
campaign, now in its 14th year. Officers ranging from the Chief of Police, to divisional detectives, were also reassigned from their daily duties in order to participate in this important initiative. Officers paid close attention to school zones and their posted speed limits, child restraint systems, school bus safety, aggressive driving and distracted driving concerns. The initiative lasted throughout the day, but their goal was it to continue throughout the year so that students, staff and drivers all arrive at their destinations safely.
The Voice headed to Grand Bazaar and Spice Market in Istanbul, Turkey where Lucca and Emile Zanuttini vacationed in late July. Send us your picture holding The Voice, whether across town or abroad and we’ll share it with our readers. Email your photo with a brief description to office@thevoiceofpelham.ca
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k c a B l l Fa ! s s e n t i Into F Fall Programs Fonthill Shopping Plaza (Near Giant Tiger)
Run/Power Yoga
Prenatal Yoga
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Kids Zumba
MoNdaYS & ThuRSdaYS 5 PM
Bootcamp
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To the Hwy 20 construction crew watering down the road to reduce dust for drivers and homeowners.
To hard working volunteers who make Pelham’s summer Thursday evenings a great success!
Niagara Conservation for keeping the Comfort Maple legacy alive with new seedlings.
Dog walkers that scoop the poop but do not dispose of it properly.
Mother Nature for raining cool this summer.
Those drivers that do not yield to the green flashing light of a volunteer firefighter vehicle.
Full class schedule - www.studiotwenty.ca spin, zumba, yoga and more !!
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