Rotarian Doug Cunningham represents SCAW in our club.

As posted on the Rotary Club of Cobourg website, April 2, 2010

Rene Roberge

Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) donations provide bedkits to children of any race and/or religion who will benefit the most; typically being located in underdeveloped and developing countries.

No portion of a bedkit donation is spent on administration — 100% reaches a needy child. Each *$35 donation (Canadian funds) provides a bedkit that consists of a mat or mattress, pillow, sheet, blanket, mosquito net (if applicable), clothes outfit, and school supplies. Bedkit contents vary from country to country depending upon local needs.

Since its founding by Murray and Margaret Dryden in 1970, SCAW has raised over $23 million to provide bedkits for children in 33 countries. In 2009 we reached our millionth child.

Every child is photographed with the bedkit, showing the donor's name/country (or special occasion message) on a label.

Each photograph is then mailed back to the original donor, providing a timeless way for the donor to remember the child who so greatly benefited from their generosity.

YMCA Recognizes Time and Talent at AGM

As posted at ionstratford.ca, March 29, 2012.

The 2011 Faye Herbert Memorial Scholarships were handed out at the Stratford YMCA’s annual general meeting Wednesday evening.

This is the 5th year for these awards, which honour Faye Herbert who was a long-time employee of the Stratford-Perth YMCA. This year’s recipients were Julie Schmidt, Dawn Simons, Darren Hulley and Hansi Walter. The scholarship recognizes Y staff and volunteers who are pursuing post secondary or continuing education.

The Board of Directors of the Y also awarded its annual Peace Medal to Doug MacDougald. MacDougald is a swine veterinarian in Stratford, but is also a volunteer with the United Way and a travelling volunteer with Sleeping Children Around the World.

“My volunteer work is my readjustment of reality,” said MacDougald after he accepted the medal. He has helped to distribute over 33,000 bedkits to children in developing countries such as India and Bangladesh.

The medal is presented annually by the YMCA to honour people in the community who are championing peace, and is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

MacDougald awarded YMCA Peace Medal

As posted by the Stratford Beacon Herald, March 29, 2012.

By Mike Beitz, Stratford Beacon Herald

There are thousands of impoverished children across the globe who are sleeping a little more peacefully thanks to Doug MacDougald.

And for that, the Stratford man was recognized Wednesday night with the Stratford-Perth YMCA's 2011 Peace Medal.

The award, presented during the Y's annual general meeting, pays tribute to MacDougald's volunteer work with Sleeping Children Around the World, a Canadian charitable organization that distributes bedkits and basic supplies to children in developing countries. The kits are central to the organization's belief that every child, no matter how poor, deserves a good night's sleep.

A local veterinarian, United Way volunteer and past chair of Festival Hydro, MacDougald has travelled abroad to participate in five “distributions” to help deliver bedkits, most recently to Bangladesh last October.

“Thank you Doug, for spreading peace every chance you get,” said the Y's Angela Charbonneau as she presented him with the medal last night.

MacDougald was characteristically modest as he accepted it.

“This is a very special award for many reasons,” he said, as his wife and parents looked on proudly. “First, it's given by the YMCA, an organization that does so much for this community and communities elsewhere. Second, it reflects one of my passions, and that is helping some of the poorest children of the world. And third, of course, it represents all the people of Stratford – we're surrounded by people in Stratford that give back to their communities here and internationally.”

He said afterward that the recognition came as a “complete surprise.”

“But a nice surprise,” he added with a smile.

The medal is presented annually by the YMCA to honour people in the community who are championing peace in all its forms, noted Y chief executive officer Mimi Price.

“What we do is recognize the value that people contribute at a local, regional or national level,” she said, noting that MacDougald was chosen by a committee for his “leadership and commitment” to peace.

“Here's a local man saying, 'I need to make a difference in my world,' and that's exactly what he's doing,” said Price of his work with Sleeping Children Around the World.

And that reflects the Y's statement on peace, she added.

That statement reads: “The responsibility for peace begins with each person, in relationships with family and friends, and extends to community life and national activities. There are no simple recipes. It is we ourselves who must seek, act and pray for ways to be peacemakers.”

“Doug shows that one person can make a difference,” said Price.

The YMCA recognized four others last night who have also made a difference.

Darren Hulley, Julie Schmidt, Dawn Simons and Hansi Walter were named as recipients of the Faye Herbert Memorial Scholarship, which recognizes YMCA staff and volunteers who have made a significant contribution to the association through their work, and who are pursuing post-secondary or continuing education.

mike.beitz@sunmedia.ca

Pune Trip Reports Posted

Pune Reports

The donor newsletter for the Pune bedkit distribution has gone to print and can be downloaded from the Sleeping Children Website.

Pune 2012

Photos are available in the Pune 2012 Photo Album. You can view them by clicking the link above.

If you would like to read the reports on the web, you can read them in their entirety here.

Here is a download link for the PDF version of the newsletter.

Belgaum Trip Reports Posted

Belgaum Reports

The donor newsletter for the Belgaum bedkit distribution has gone to print and can be downloaded from the Sleeping Children Website.

Belgaum 2012

Photos are available in the Belgaum 2012 Photo Album. You can view them by clicking the link above.

If you would like to read the reports on the web, you can read them in their entirety here.

Here is a download link for the PDF version of the newsletter.

Kiwanis concert helps Sleeping Children Around the World

As posted on CountyLive.ca, March 20, 2012.

Past President John Kileeg accepts a cheque from Libby Smellie, producer of Sounds of Ireland benefit concert for Sleeping Children Around the World, and Kiwanian Bill Smellie. – Not only did Libby and Bill do a tremendous amount of work to organize and produce the concert, they also personally matched the proceeds to double the amount The Kiwanis Club of Picton was able to send to Sleeping Children Around the World.

The Honourable Justice Mr. Alan Ingram and Picton Kiwanis President Geri Claxton - In three weeks, Alan will be travelling to the Philippines where he will help a local Kiwanis Club distribute 6000 bedkits. Alan will be taking a Kiwanis Club of Picton banner to present to the Philippines Kiwanis Club. Alan spoke about Sleeping Children Around the World at the benefit concert.

The Picton Kiwanis held the Sounds of Ireland benefit concert last Friday in support of Sleeping Children Around the World.

Special thanks to: Rev. Lynne Donovan & the members of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, Jim Wright, Rob Kellough & Paul Johnson, Gord Sterling, Bruce Dowdell, Wayne McFaul, Century 21 Picton & Napanee and also thanks to musicians Tom Dietzel and Colleen Galway for your help making this a wonderful event.

Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) donations provide bedkits to children of any race and/or religion who will benefit the most; typically being located in underdeveloped and developing countries.

No portion of a bedkit donation is spent on administration — 100% reaches a needy child. Each *$35 donation (Canadian funds) provides a bedkit that consists of a mat or mattress, pillow, sheet, blanket, mosquito net (if applicable), clothes outfit, and school supplies. Bedkit contents vary from country to country depending upon local needs.

Canmore International Development Awareness Group

As posted by the Canmore International Developmnet Awareness Group, March 16, 2012.

NEXT MEETING IS ON MARCH 19th

Mike and Marg Garrett (Canmorites) will be talking about Sleeping Children around the World. They were in Nicaragua in Oct 2011 delivering 5000 bed kits with a team led by Judy Dryden, daughter of founder Mike Dryden. This was Mike’s first trip with them, and Marg has done several trips.

PLEASE NOTE THE TIME OF STARTING
THE GATHERING COMMENCES AT 7:00 PM and
THE PRESENTATION AT 7:30 PM

We were pleased with the interest and participation shown last season and are excited to be able to continue and hopefully grow this next year. Again we have to thank Chris Dmytriw for being able to use Zona’s for the Monday evening presentations.

For more information, click on the link to the CIDAG website.

Londoner can't resist need in Togo

As posted on the London Free Press, March 16, 2012

Londoner Don Barclay, who is spearheading a relief project aimed at helping to educate children in Togo, is wearing a shirt from that African country and displaying a miniature tribal mask similar to those used in tribal ceremonies. (CHIP MARTIN, The London Free Press)

By CHIP MARTIN, THE LONDON FREE PRESS


When Don Barclay retired as a business educator, he wasn’t done with education.

His interest has taken him to Togo, where he and a new charitable organization are bringing hope to children in the impoverished West African nation.

In the past year, Support. Education. Togo (SET) has put $46,000 into a new three-classroom school and to repair three more classrooms rendered unusable following a windstorm.

The money has come primarily from Barclay, a former professor at the Ivey business school at Western University, his younger brother, Robert, a retired banker in Mississauga, and Toronto doctors Anne and Simon Carette. The foursome were introduced to the educational challenges facing Togolese children when they distributed bed kits through Sleeping Children Around the World.

The Barclays and Carettes established SET, which obtained charitable status last year, and have begun to seek public donations they hope will produce $100,000 a year for two or three school-related projects annually.

“When you see an obvious situation when kids are being disadvantaged, the four of us felt compelled to jump in,” Barclay said. “The need was just sitting there in front of us.”

Aside from building projects undertaken with the help of local officials and parents, SET provides scholarship funds for deserving students, salaries for teachers, teaching supplies and uniforms.

Barclay said he is motivated to help because “it’s all about the kids,” but he is struck by the positive attitude in the tiny country of 6 million where the annual income per capita is less than $500. There is some agriculture and mining for phosphorous but little else to produce prosperity in Togo.

“These people are positive,” he said. “They are dedicated to hard work. They love their kids to death. Those kinds of attitudes are the reasons we decided to put a stake in the ground. They are great people to work with.”

The Togolese understand the value of education to help them move forward, he said.

“They have this inherent hope which is so easy to work with.”

SET has virtually no overhead and Barclay said all money received goes to Togo, where the new organization works with the well-established Action Enfance et Developement Togo (AED).

Barclay supports several organizations locally and provincially which raise funds for cancer survivors, brain tumour research, for a food bank and a province-wide referral service for those dealing with mental health, drug and gambling issues.

He felt it was time to act globally and he couldn’t resist the need in Togo. opting to act at the grass-roots level.

“I decided I was much more excited at this stage of my life to do something a bit more hands-on, closer to the ground,” he said.

As secretary-treasurer of SET, Barclay is appealing to others to support the new organization determined to bring a ray of hope to a tiny corner of Africa few Canadians could find on a map.

--- --- ---

HOW TO HELP

The Organization: Support. Education. Togo (SET).

Goal: To improve education in the West African nation of Togo, population 6 million.

How: Through building and rebuilding schools, providing scholarships and funds for teaching supplies and to pay teachers, water and sanitation systems for schools.

To Donate: online at www.supporteducationtogo.org or by mail to 1423 Tecumseh Park Dr., Mississauga, ON, L5H 3P1, or email SET.TOGO@yahoo.ca

E-mail chip.martin@sunmedia.ca, or follow Chipatlfpress on Twitter.

Education at heart of global partnership

As posted on the Western News website, March 15, 2012
By Paul Mayne

Photos courtesy of Don Barclay
Richard Ivey School of Business professor emeritus Don Barclay received the full attention of the children of Agbelouve, a small village in Togo (West Africa) on a visit in April 2011.

When Don Barclay met up with his brother, Bob, for a few beers last April, the outcome was quite remarkable. Not only did the two share stories of their recent trip to Togo in West Africa, where Barclay aided his brother in distributing 5,000 beds kids with Sleeping Children Around the World, they decided to make an even bigger impact in an area close to Barclay’s heart – education.

“When I retired I decided I would try and give back locally, provincially and globally,” said Barclay, who retired from the Richard Ivey School of Business in 2008 after 23 years. “I went over with my brother with the intention of being supportive of him and Sleeping Children, with perhaps it being my global initiative.”

But as the bed kits were being handed out in the schoolyard of the small village of Agbelouve, the delight of hundreds of children was muted by what Barclay saw.

“When we were at these villages it became very clear the schools were a mess,” said Barclay, who took a tour with the impassioned principal of the school. “A couple (buildings) were fairly okay, but one was thatch roofed and wide open. During rainy season, the school can’t use it and have to jam all the kids into the other buildings, or they even stay home.”

What happened next was “an easy decision to make.”

Along with his brother and friends Anne Langlois Carette and Simon Carette, both physicians and professors at University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine, Barclay established Support. Education. Togo. (SET) with aims to improve the entire idea of education in Togo.

Not just through the much needed school construction and repair, SET has also arranged for scholarships, books and supplies, teacher salaries and, when needed, partnering with other groups to create water and sanitation facilities.

“More pragmatically, education is directly associated with breaking the cycle of poverty and with life enhancement,” Barclay added. “Education leads to improved health, higher income, thoughtful family planning, and greater opportunity to guide the development of a country.”

Less than a year after partnering in Togo with Action Enfance et Développment (AED), a registered charity based in the capital city of Lomé, two projects have been completed – a new school in Agbelouve and a repairs to a school in Agalepedo. A third project is planned to begin this May in Asso, filling a need for three classrooms and a principal’s office/secure storage area for a school of 468 children.

A new 2,881 square-foot, three-classroom school in Togo costs approximately $35,500.

“It’s not just about building schools; it’s about education. We’re not going into a community to build a school and leave,” Barclay said. “We will only go into communities where the principal, village chief and parents association are on board. It has to be a community effort to keep this going.
“Anything we can do to support education, we’ll do. It’s all about the kids. These kids have such a great attitude and sense of gratitude that it’s easy to do it from that standpoint. The adults in the village are just so dedicated to their kids and will help in any way that will, in turn, help their kids.”

Photos courtesy of Don Barclay
The before and after pictures of the local school show the change being made by Support. Education. Togo., a non-profit organziation created by Barclay and three others to improve the entire idea of education in Togo.

Villagers provide manual labour and as much material for the projects as they can.

Barclay said while the first year has seen close to $100,000 in completed projects – initially funded though the four founding members – SET will be busy this year seeking support for upcoming projects in West Africa. And with 100 per cent of donor funds going to projects, and not one cent for administration costs, Barclay hopes fundraising will be successful.

“If they don’t have a book, that cost 10 cents, they can’t go to school. And the money is not there for them to buy such a book,” Barclay said. “The core purpose is to support young girls and boys who have no possibility of attending school, to ensure that they receive a good education, and to improve their health and lives.”

Barclay’s brother will be returning to West Africa in May, as part of Sleeping Children Around the World, and will see first-hand the difference SET has made in such a short time. Barclay said he’d love to make a return trip to Togo in the near future, but, for now, is happy to know change is being made.

“This may sound hokey, but I feel completely blessed to be able to give back,” he said. “It’s always a great day when you can.”

MusicFest 2012 at the Movies

St. John's York Mills Anglican Church

once more presents MusicFest.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Performances at 4 p.m. & 7 p.m.

Featuring music from The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, The Sting, Les Misérables, Mary Poppins and so much more.

Part of the proceeds go to Sleeping Children.

For tickets call 416-225-6611,
e-mail or visit on the Web.

Location: St. John's York Mills Anglican Church,
19 Don Ridge Drive, Close to Yonge/York Mills Subway in Toronto

Free Parking – Wheelchair Accessible

Click poster to see a larger version

$50,000 grant to help church be accessible to community seven days a week

As posted on the County Live website, March 13, 2012.

St. Andrew’s Church in Picton will increase accessibility for people with disabilities thanks to a $50,000 Canadian government grant.

The church’s Accessibility Project will help construct an exterior ramp, widen doorways, install automated door openers and build an accessible washroom with accessible door handles.

St. Andrew’s minister Lynne Donovan is thrilled.

“We have worked hard to make our church a real public building so that it can be used seven days a week by the community. This involved the decision to completely renovate the sanctuary,” she said. “This grant confirms the direction that we have taken – the government has recognized our desire to make the church a multi-purpose space. The money will allow us to make the main floor accessibile and to provide a bathroom and kitchenette on this floor which makes hosting a variety of events so much more appealing. We will continue to make the sanctuary available to the wider community for a variety of creative and courageous endeavours. Apart from the wider community, we have a number of older members who have been unable to get into our building and now they can fully participate in our life together.”"

“Our government recognizes the abilities of all Canadians and celebrates the progress we have made as a society towards the full inclusion of people with disabilities,” said Prince Edward Hastings MP Daryl Kramp, making the announcement on behalf of Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
“Through the Enabling Accessibility Fund, we are helping Canadians truly get involved in their communities by improving access to facilities, activities and services. No one should be excluded from participating in their community because of a physical barrier.”

St. Andrew’s calls itself a circle of friends committed to partnering with people and organizations who share a vision for a healthy human community.

Since 2008, in partnership with permaculture expert David Riley, the church has hosted annual sheet-mulch gardening workshops and continues to make community gardening space available to the public.

St. Andrew’s also shares its space with Transition PEC, an organization devoted to conversations around sustainable practices in order to meet the challenges of global warming and peak oi. The church also hosts the Reaching for Rainbows program where Grade 1 girls develop positive relationships and develop tools they need for academic and social success and to develop good decision making skills.

The community is welcome to attend The Sounds of Ireland, a benefit concert featuring tenor Julian Gallo, accompanist Tom Dietzel and soprano Lenni Stewart, on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day.

Presented by the Kiwanis Club of Picton, the Friday, March 16 event begins at 7:30 p.m. Concert proceeds will be donated to Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW).

SCAW provides bed kits to children in 33 undeveloped and developing countries. Each $35. donation provides a bed kit containing a mat or mattress, pillow, sheet, blanket, mosquito net (if needed) an outfit of clothing and school supplies. No part of a bed kit donation is spent on administration.

Tickets available at the church, from the offices of Century 21 Real Estate, or at Stephen Licence in Belleville

Chennai Trip Reports Posted

Chennai Reports

The donor newsletter for the Chennai bedkit distribution has gone to print and can be downloaded from the Sleeping Children Website.

Chennai 2012

Photos are available in the Chennai 2012 Photo Album. You can view them by clicking the link above.

If you would like to read the reports on the web, you can read them in their entirety here.

Here is a download link for the PDF version of the newsletter.

Bulletin: We are registered in the US

Sleeping Children Around the World is registered in the USA.

Sleeping Children Around the World is now registered as a charitable organization in the United States. American donors can receive an official receipt for US tax purposes. We have a US Charitable Tax #: 27-3609416

This is an exciting time for Sleeping Children as we fulfill our founders, Murray and Margaret Dryden’s belief that “it is the right of every child to have a peaceful night’s sleep.”

Donors on our home page can now select to receive a Canadian tax receipt or a US tax receipt. More information is on our website where donations can also be made by US credit card: www.scaw.org

Canadian charity donates to destitute Kitui children

As posted by The Star, Nairobi, Kenya, March 5, 2012.

BY PHILLIP MUASYA

A Canadian charity over the weekend donated bedding and clothing items worth Sh6 million to about 600 destitute primary school children in Kitui county. Canadian Sleeping Children around the World gave mattresses, blankets, schools uniforms and bags, shoes and mosquito nets to the primary school children. The donation was made in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Nairobi at the Kitui Stadium on Saturday.

A representative of the Canadian charity, David Jonness said his organisation targets disadvantaged children between the ages of six and 12 years. "“We aim to alleviate poverty and suffering among the poor children. We want to make their lives in schools and even at home bearable so that they can concentrate on their studies,” Jonness said. Kennedy Ngumbau, a Nairobi businessman thanked the organisation for the donation which will benefit children from selected schools in Kitui Central, Mutito and Kitui West districts.

Sleeping Children Around the World

As posted by Snap Caledon, March 1, 2012.

In the photo are (Right) Wayne Cowell, chair of the Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) committee of the Rotary Club of Palgrave, and (Left) Dave Dryden, the chair of SCAW with Sydney and Melissa, two students at the school.

For the 21^st consecutive year, the children of Palgrave P.S. raised funds to provide bed kits for those less fortunate. Once again, the Rotary Club of Palgrave has kindly agreed to match each bed kit donation. Mr. Dave Dryden from Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) along with Wayne Cowell from Palgrave Rotary came out to the Palgrave school to give a presentation and accept the donations. For more information visit www.scaw.org

Photo by Tom Kumagai

Julian Gallo's on the charity stage March 16

As posted on The Intelligencer, February 28.

By Margaret Haylock Capon, QMI Agency

PICTON - The Sounds of Ireland, a benefit concert featuring tenor Julian Gallo (aka Wally Williamson), accompanist Tom Dietzel and soprano Lenni Stewart, will be performed at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, on the eve of St. Patrick's Day.

Presented by the Kiwanis Club of Picton, the Friday, March 16 event will begin at 7:30 p.m., with tickets available at the church, from the offices of Century 21 Real Estate, or at Stephen Licence in Belleville.Concert proceeds will be donated to Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW).

Founded by Murray Dryden (father of NHL hockey player Ken Dryden) and his wife, Margaret, in 1970, SCAW has since raised more than $23 million to provide bed kits for children in 33 countries. In 2009, this organization helped its millionth child.

SCAW provides bed kits to children of all races and religions who will benefit most from them. Typically, they live in undeveloped or developing countries. Each $35. donation (in Canadian funds) provides a bed kit containing a mat or mattress, pillow, sheet, blanket, mosquito net (if needed) an outfit of clothing and school supplies. Contents of the kits vary from country to country, depending on local needs says SCAW. No part of a bed kit donation is spent on administration. All of the money is used to help children in need.

The Sounds of Ireland also will be presented at Madoc`s Trinity United Church on Sunday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the church, from the Community Care office, at Hidden Treasures in Tweed, Balu`s Pharmacy in Stirling and from Bush Furniture in Tweed and Madoc. The Madoc concert also will feature songs from both World Wars. Proceeds from this event will be donated to Community Care for Central Hastings.

Kolkata Trip Reports Posted

Kolkata Reports

The donor newsletter for the Kolkata bedkit distribution has gone to print and can be downloaded from the Sleeping Children Website.

Kolkata 2012

Photos are available in the Kolkata 2012 Photo Album. You can view them by clicking the link above.

If you would like to read the reports on the web, you can read them in their entirety here.

Here is a download link for the PDF version of the newsletter.

Palgrave School continues to help Sleeping Children

As posted by the Caledon Citizen, February 23, 2012.

These Grade 8 students contributed $350, enough to buy 10 bed kits for Sleeping Children Around the World. They presented the cheque to Dave Dryden recently.

Bill Rea

Palgrave Public School has developed a reputation for being a big supporter of Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW), and they demonstrating that.

Former NHL goalie Dave Dryden, son of Murray and Margaret Dryden who founded the program, was at the school recently to thank the students and assure them that their contributions are appreciated by young people in other lands.

Student MC Sydney Trepanier told the assembly that the program has distributed 1,195,630 bed kits.

“That’s a lot of happy children,” fellow MC Melissa Blackwell said, adding the kits are distributed to children in such countries as Kenya, Philippines, Uganda, Sri Lanka, etc.

She also said the school has raised money of the years for some 2,200 bed kits. And Sydney added since the Rotary Club of Palgrave matches the contributions, that has resulted in more than 4,000 kits.

They said the school has been supporting the program for some 20 years.

They also praised some individual efforts among the students, including that of Spiro Anthanasoulis, who presented Dryden with a cheque for $210.

“You’re going to give a good sleep to a lot of kids like you,” Rotarian Wayne Cowell told the students.

He added how impressed he was to see children helping other children, “One of the most wonderful things about Sleeping Children.”

He also commented that the Palgrave club is so fond of the charity that they made a video about it, and sent it to Rotary clubs all over Canada and the United States, in the hopes of generating more interest.

“You really have done an amazing job for kids all over the world,” Dryden told them.

He also told them what a magic moment it is for these young people in other lands to get their bed kits, likening it to his first start in the NHL, playing for the Chicago Black Hawks against the Leafs, when Leaf goalie Johnny Bower approached him after the match and said, “Dave, great game. Welcome to the NHL.”

“That was like a magic moment,” Dryden said, adding he still thanks Bower for it. Bower, he said, has since forgotten the incident, “but it sure was important to me.”

He also said the kids who received these bed kits experience a similar magic moment; one they remember.

He and a team of volunteers travelled to Kenya last year to distribute about 5,000 kits, and he showed the students pictures of the trip.

“They were wonderful kids,” he remarked.

Students share value of a warm bed

As posted by the Caledon Enterprise, February 21, 2012.

Andrew Livingstone photo
Spiro Athanasoulis, a Grade 6 student at Palgrave Public School, donated a cheque for $210 to Sleeping Children Around the World, to help provide bed kits for children in developing countries. Seen with him here is former NHLer and head of the organization, Dave Dryden.

By Andrew Livingstone, Enterprise Staff

When Spiro Athanasoulis handed over a cheque for $210 to Dave Dryden, son of Sleeping Children Around the World founder Murray Dryden, he sat down on a long bench with a big grin on his face.

“It’s really neat when kids do this kind of thing,” he said of Athanasoulis selfless act.

The Grade 6 student at Palgrave Public School asked his friends to donate money to the non-profit organization at his birthday party instead of bringing gifts.

“I wanted to do something because a lot of people sleep in their warm beds and I want to help people who don’t get to do that,” Athanasoulis said. “It’s important.”

Helen, Spiro’s mother, couldn’t be happier with the generosity and selflessness her son has shown.

“I said to him, maybe this year why not do something that benefits someone who doesn’t have as much and he was all for it,” she said. “He’s a great kid.”

And while Spiro presented his own cheque, the entire student and teacher population donated 119 bed kits to the organization. The bed kits are collected across the country and sent to people in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Philippines and Sri Lanka, as planned this year.

According to Dave Dryden, the plans are to deliver more than 27,000 beds to those four countries alone.

The Rotary Club of Palgrave is giving $2,100 to the organization, matching the donations collected by students at the school. It’s the 21st year the school and the Rotary Club have been involved in the project, which has collected over 1.1 million bed kits since its inception in 1970.

“It’s children, like yourselves, helping other children,” said Wayne Cowell of Palgrave Rotary. “It’s the great thing about Sleeping Children.”

Heather Patterson, one of the parent volunteers who helped coordinate the project this year, said it’s an important part of the Palgrave philosophy of helping others.

“It teaches them to share and help other children,” she said. “It’s important for them to know not everyone is well-off like we are.”

And for former NHLer Dave Dryden, he characterizes the 2,200 bed kits the school has donated in over two decades – each individual kit – as special.

“There are 2,000 or more kids who have had magic moments, just like I did with Johnny (Bauer) when we give out those bed kits,” he told the packed gymnasium of his first game in the NHL and the famed Toronto Maple Leaf goalie welcoming him to the league at the end of the game. “It’s so important to them.”

Sounds of Ireland for SCAW

Submitted by volunteer Shirley Stone

Sounds of Ireland

A Benefit Concert for
Sleeping Children Around the World
presented by
Kiwanis Club of Picton

Featuring: Julian Gallo, tenor & Lenni Stewart, soprano with accompanist Tom Dietzel

Friday March 16, 2012
at 7:30 p.m.
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
31 King Street, Picton


Click on graphic for ticket information.