St. Aidan’s Presbyterian Church is sporting a fresh look for its anniversary.
“We are going to be celebrating our 105th anniversary on Oct. 5,” said Doreen Bloudell, volunteer secretary at the church. “We are having a community garden dedication that day.”
Community members are invited to attend a special church service at 11 a.m. and the community garden dedication at noon. Along with its anniversary, the church is pleased that a six-month renovation to its sanctuary is complete.
“It looks great,” Bloudell said. “It just opens the whole area up so you can have larger groups.”
Bloudell said the renovated sanctuary accommodates up to 120 people and has a large stage, so it’s a great location for weddings, concerts, recitals, plays and other events. The church has been raising money to purchase a grand piano that would be available for groups to use.
“We’d love people to come and see it,” Bloudell said. “We are the church of compassion, community and hope. We are very welcoming and friendly.”
St. Aidan’s is also inviting community members to drop by for another event taking place in October.
“We have a karaoke evening coming up,” Bloudell said of the all-ages event taking place on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. “It’s by donation. Everyone is welcome. It could be a fun time.”
St. Aidan’s is located at 1320 Seventh Ave. (at 14th Street). Call Doreen at 604-521-8313 for information.
Celebrating coaches
Douglas College is pumping iron and going shoeless to mark B.C. Coaches Week from Sept. 20 to 27.
B.C. Coaches Week is held annually to recognize the valuable contribution coaches make to sport across the province.
“Whether they’re volunteering with a youth team or providing guidance to collegiate athletes, coaches are the backbone of the sport system here in B.C.,” Alison Gill, fieldwork and coaching coordinator at Douglas College, said in a press release. “We want to celebrate their amazing contributions and have some fun at the same time, which is why we’ve organized some exciting activities for B.C. Coaches Week.”
As part of the celebration, Douglas College is offering the public a behind-the-scenes look at how competitive athletes train.
Throughout the sports season, strength and conditioning coach Jake Elder leads daily 75-minute workout sessions with varsity athletes at the New Westminster campus. During B.C. Coaches Week, the public is invited to watch the workouts and take part in brief Q&A discussions.
The sessions are free, but space is limited.
Douglas College students and athletes are also raising funds to support Right to Play, an international organization that helps to educate and empower disadvantaged children through fun programs and activities. Students in the Sport Science program have challenged varsity athletes to take part in the “Go Shoeless” fundraiser, with those who accept the challenge taking off their shoes for an entire game or class, photographing their experience and helping bring in donations. For more information, visit douglas
college.ca.
Do you have an item for Around Town? Send ideas from the community to Theresa McManus, [email protected], or find her on Twitter, @TheresaMcManus.
