Community Connections

UPDATE ON SUMMER FUN 2012 - The Children's Ability Fund is looking forward to a busy summer out and about in your community - Hope to see you there!

May... you will find us at the Rodeo of Smiles, part of the Leduc Black Gold Rodeo where special needs children from the Black Gold School District receive a special invitation to attend a day at the rodeo organized especially for them!

June ... we start out at the Stony Plain Parade where our local ambassador Richard will be greeting everyone from the Children's Ability Fund float (thanks to our friends at Construction for the use of their equipment).

Father's Day will be spent in Vegreville at the Father's Day Demolition Derby where King Ken will be driving the Children's Ability Fund car and where our volunteers will be helping the organizing committee sell 50/50 tickets.

July ... we are thrilled to partner with Northlands at Capital Ex for Monday Morning Magic - a special day where the grounds are open early to allow children with special needs the opportunity to experience the games and attractions at the fair. This day is made even more special with the help of the Edmonton Eskimos.

August ... we are back out to Vegreville for the Vegreville Annual Parade and Fair. Watch four our float featuring our local ambassador King Ken!

What a busy summer we have planned and we couldn't do it without our terrific group of volunteers. Thank you for your support !

Barrhead

On Friday June 11, 2010 billy ability was on hand to cut the ribbon for the Wheelc billy & Honourable Ken Kowalski hair accessible portion of the playground at the Barrhead Elementary School, while Honorable Ken Kowalski cut the ribbon for the 9 - 12 age group portion.

To date, the Children's Ability Fund has provided over $650,000 in funding for more that 165 accessible playgrounds in northern Alberta. Play is a pastime that enhances the quality of life ~ it can make everyone's life more intersting and enjoyable. It helps to develop imagination and creativity. Play builds self-esteem and is an important part of growning up. After all, aren't we all children at heart!?

Parkland County

Silent River Kung Fu Logo

Silent River Kung Fu, Stony Plain, celebrates their mobility by giving to enhance independence, abilities, and equality in their community and abroad.

Silent River Kung Fu celebrated with the Chinese New Year & Black Belt Promotion Ceremony on January 28th at the Stony Plain Community Centre. The Children's Ability Fund was honored, once again, to be the recipient of a $3,000 donation from their Benevolent Foundation.

2012 is the year of the Dragon. We will throw caution to the four winds and roll up our sleves for all sorts of grandiose, exhilerating, colossal, overambitious, and daring projects.The indomitable spirit of the Dragon will inflate everything to larger than life size. Somehow we find ourselves bubbling with excess energy.

The electric atmosphere created by the mighty Dragon will affect us, one and all.

Along with the traditional Lion Dance, this year featured the less common performance of the Dragon Dance. In addition to demonstrations, awards presentations, donations, dinner, and the collection of the red packets by the lions, five candidates received their Black Belts.

Thank you Master Brinker, Sifu Vantuil, and the Silent River Kung Fu Benevolent Foundation for including us in your New Years Celebration – we truly appreciate your support!

The Silent River Benevolent Foundation has carefully selected a group of deserving charities and initiatives (near & far) to work toward making the world a better place for children. Under the leadership of Master Jeff Brinker, the Silent River Kung Fu students and teachers are just as dedicated to making a difference in the world as they are to the discipline and hard work it takes to succeed in the Martial Arts.

We were proud to nominate Silent River Benevolent Foundation for the AAFRE Celebrate Excellence Awards for 2011 Carol & Master Jeff Brinker

Vegreville

Celebrating ability & mobility at the Vegreville Country Fair & Exhibition

For the third year we were welcomed back to the Vegreville Country Fair & Exhibition to sell 50/50 tickets during the Chuckwagon Races.

Thank you to the volunteers that helped. It is always a pleasure to work with our friends Patti, Gail, Cathy, Ken, Ashleigh, Jacqueline, Krystal, Bob, Rhoda, Diana, Alyshia, Derek, Terry & Glennys.

We appreciate the support of the Vegreville community and our dedicated volunteers.

See you all again next year!

Vegreville Father’s Day Demolition Derby and Show and Shine

Best dressed 2011 The Children's Ability Fund was excited for the opportunity to hang out once again at the annual Father’s Day Demolition Derby and Show and Shine in Vegreville on June 19, 2011 and to meet the community that has supported us for so long.

“Our organization has been raising money to purchase specialized equipment for people with disabilities in Northern Alberta for over 60 years - and a portion of those proceeds have been used to help people with disabilities in Vegreville and the surrounding communities.” says Carol Russ, Executive Director of the Children's Ability Fund. “Vegreville has championed our charity and in particular our Wing Ding fundraiser thanks to local ambassador and Children's Ability Fund board member “King Ken” Gulevich.

Ken Gulevich displayed the Children's Ability Fund demolition car at this year’s event. It was a very wet and rainy day and the car won the Best Dressed award for the day, it just couldn't run. Carburators Man!

The Children's Ability Fund's friendly volunteers sold 50/50 tickets in the stand and tried to stay dry (an impossible task) but had fun nonetheless. Thanks to the support of the Vegreville Agricultural Society, our charity raised $ 1,000 from the 50/50 draw!

We at the Children's Ability Fund were so happy to be at this event and to meet the people that have supported us through out the years.