5 for Life fundraiser just around the corner

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Inspiration struck quickly when 5 for Life Chairperson Christine Kiemeny attended a colossal Calgary-based fundraiser a few years ago, ultimately translating her experience into a local book sale to raise funds for programs geared towards developing children.
The third annual 5 for Life Community Book Sale mirrors – on a much smaller scale – the used book sale founded and hosted in collaboration with the Calgary Herald, Crossroads Market, and the Servant’s Anonymous Society that raised $1.5 million over a decade. In Strathmore, the non-profit organization focused on early childhood development in the town and Wheatland County, adapted the fundraising-style with hopes of gaining an influx in funds to implement and support similar resources.
“It seemed like something that we could get all of the communities involved in, the rural as well as Strathmore… it’s now in its third year,” said Kiemeny.
“Dealing with children zero to five, it’s the most developmental part of their lives. So, we try to get across to parents the idea of reading and bonding with their children and sitting down and having quiet time, because in this day and age, when you have technology and everybody is running in 50 different directions, that doesn’t happen very much. It’s a very simple thing to do, and we just want to promote that.”
As the organization is expecting a greater turnout since the event’s inception – having already generated much interest and donations thus far – two literacy-focused programs are already registered on the non-profit’s radar. While not yet available in Strathmore, Building Blocks, a program that originated in Nanton and offers in-home services for families struggling with literacy, is a possible contender as a recipient of the money which would launch the program in Strathmore for the first time. Books for Babies, where new parents receive a brand-new book for their child, is also a program that received support from the organization in the past.
“We’re not specifically sure what percentage goes to each, but if Books for Babies needs some more books, then we would give them some cash to help, and if the Building Blocks program comes on board then we would look at how that would work as far as supplementing other funding that we get from other resources,” Kiemeny added, who hopes to raise more than last year’s $1,000. “We want to provide resources, information, and activities that parents can do without having to be Martha Stewart, but something simple that the parents can do, and give the parents confidence to know that, ‘Yes I’m helping my child.'”
Donation depots are set up around Strathmore and Wheatland County to collect book donations of any genre and age group, with the exception of encyclopedias, magazines, old health books, textbooks, or Readers Digests, until Jan. 28. The third annual 5 for Life Community Book Sale will take place at the Strathmore Civic Centre on Jan. 29-30. All children books and soft covers are $0.50 and hard cover books are $1. For more information on where to drop off items call 403.983.4815 or visit 5forlifeforever.com.