Chargers lose in big effort
The Camosun Chargers volleyball teams played hard against the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, but both the men’s and women’s teams lost their five-set matches. Also, both Chargers basketball teams lost their games to local rival men’s and women’s teams from the Vancouver Island University Mariners.
Buy a meal, give a meal
Non-profit group Mealshare has recently launched in Victoria and hopes to encourage the giving spirit at local eateries. The program has been running in Edmonton and Calgary since the summer and now has four Victoria restaurants participating. Order a selected Mealshare menu item and a dollar is donated to two charities: Victoria’s Our Place and the international Children’s Hunger Fund. Dining out has never been so generous.
Community work wins award
Local organization PEERS was recently given a provincial award by the Ministry of Justice for its leadership work in the community. The society offers resources and support for sex workers, including night and day outreach vans for direct assistance. Its government funding was cut this year, but volunteers and donations have allowed PEERS to continue offering their much-needed services.
Homeless Partners fundraiser
Non-profit group Homeless Partners is looking for donations and pledges for Christmas gifts that will go to local homeless people this year. Individuals are interviewed by volunteers and their stories and wish lists are posted on the website so that the donations are personalized. There is an Indiegogo campaign on until November 20 to support the development of a new website with worldwide support. See homelesspartners.com for details about getting involved and helping out.
Local rider supports clean races
Cyclist Ryder Hesjedal is open about his past, but more interested in the future of his sport. The cycling world had some doping scandals earlier this year involving Lance Armstrong; now, Hesjedal admits to doping over a decade ago, but hopes that young athletes won’t feel the pressure to do so in the future. His team, Slipstream Sports, encourages honesty and is committed to competing without drugs, according to a recent press release.
Free textbooks coming up
The government wants to help you with your skills training, and they don’t even want to charge for it! Seriously! There are currently 20 free, open textbooks in development, and 10 will be available for use in postsecondary courses by September 2015. The subject areas are still being determined but are expected to reflect the needs of the BC job market. So your poetry text probably isn’t covered, but, hey, you never know in this unpredictable economy! Well, there’s a good chance it’s not covered. Head on over to open.bccampus.ca for more info.