Kin
Kid, Robert Bolger (6), shown standing on the left holding a cheque for
$3200, will remember March 4, 2001 for a long, long time as the day he
got to appear on television to present a large donation to the Easter
Seals Society during their annual telethon.
His
younger brother, Maverick (4), helped him hold the cheque for this photo
inside the Kin Park clubhouse located in Blezard Valley behind the Rheal
Belisle Centre.
Adults
standing in the photo included, from the left: Scott Bolger (Past
President), Mary Lou Bolger (Life Member), Jeanine Bolger (Secretary)
and Andrew Legge (New Member).
The
Kin Club of Valley East has been in operation since November 1996.
Before that members were known as Kinsmen and Kinettes. In an effort to
improve the effectiveness of the two organizations, and in recognition
of the fact that most of their activities were co-ed to begin with, the
Valley East members decided to become one of the first communities in
Canada to merge the two groups into one. Today, this trend is spreading
throughout the country.
Each
year the group raises money through bingos (they have the major bingo at
Valley Bingo every Friday night), the sale of fireworks in May and for
Canada Day, and through a series of other smaller ventures. Their main
charity is Cystic Fibrosis, but they also help out the Easter Seals with
donations in the neighbourhood of $3000 every year. This year their
donation was an impressive $3200.
The
Kin Club of Valley East is known locally for spearheading the Raise The
Flag Day celebrations in honour of our Canadian Flag. This year the
event will be held at Confederation Secondary School on May 11. They
also donate a $500 bursary to each of the three Valley East high schools
each spring.
One
of the new projects that they are considering is a major house draw
later this year. News of this undertaking will be announced when further
details are worked out.
Besides
the people in the photo, other members of the Kin Club of Valley East
include, Darrin Bolger (President), Rick Proud’homme (Vice President),
Noella Desormeaux (Treasurer), Bob Bolger (Life Member), Claude
Desormeaux (Registrar), Bea Card (Bingo Chair), and Mark Rastin
(Member).
The
Kin Club of Valley East operates out of the club house at the Kin Park,
formerly known as the Blezard Valley Ball Park. “Serving the
Community’s Greatest Needs” is the well-suited motto of the club.