Past Picnics

2006 - 5th Annual Aboriginal Back to School Picnic

Another successful picnic has come and gone!  Thank you to our many Volunteers for your support and energy that made  this event fun for the participants/  You help to strengthen the future of our youth!

This year we prepared 550 backpacks full of school supplies for children and youth in grades K-12.  We were pleased when about 750 people come to the event.
This Back to School Picnic received funding from community donations and our two primary sponsors are the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch of BC Direct Access Program Funding and Save On Foods. 

Just prior to Christmas 2006, we were able to provide Gift cards to the participants of the 2006 Picnic.  This was well received and appreciated in the community.  We know this because of the many evaluations we received in the Spring.  

Our Back to School Picnic goal is to support our youth to stay in school.  This is a fun and free day filled with laughs, family, friends and community visiting and supporting each other.

Due to my new position as Guardianship worker, I will not be coordinating the next Picnic but hope to support, encourage and be a part of the picnic any way I can.

Mussi Cho!
Yasmin Ali

2005 - 4th Annual Back to School Picnic, By Yasmin Ali

The task of organizing the 4th Annual Back to School Picnic was an honor and joy for me.  I began the coordination a little more than half way through the planning process and was thankful for existing progress made by Surrounded by Cedar staff and the BTSP volunteers. 
 
The need in our commnity and the numbers of families requesting support is increasing each year.  The cost of living in the Capital Region keeps increasing and the importance of education is felt by many families. Shelly Johnson said it well in the T.C. article, “It’s important that the families know their community stands behind them and school is a place we want the youth to be”.  As the BTSP meetings progressed, the committees worked hard to iron out any wrinkles to provide a special day.  This year, the day started out with great weather, helping hands, and at 11am, Rudd Park started to fill up with youthful, energetic and thankful faces.  

The Welcoming circle and prayer was a powerful and grounding opening to the event.  Elder Bob Nye from Cowichan Tribes welcomed everyone to the day.  He asked the spirits to be with us, and talked to youth saying that someday they will be in his position and that it is important to take a positive and healthy path in their life. 

The craft tent was a hopping place throughout the day.  Julie, Marguerite, and Meaghan ensured the youths and elders had ample supplies and fun in the crafts they created.  Crafts from painting to talking sticks and hide pouches were created and taken home with pride and love.  The Bouncy castle and face painting, hosted by Par-T-Perfect were also well received by the energetic youth at the picnic.

The Dunk tank was a hit again, with Fabian being the first to be dunked and dressing for the part in his three piece suit.  The line up for ball throwers was matched by the amount of people wanting to be dunked, so Lisa and Maria  volunteered to ensure equal opportunity.  Thank you to our dedicated Picnic sponsors from North Douglas Food, Daren McKinney, who took a dip in the dunk tank (after he was volunteered by his daughters).  

Fair play was ensured by Butch, the VNFC youth, Kirsten and her friends in the races for the children.  They encouraged and rewarded all participants in their efforts to reach the finsih line.  

Registration was run well by Angie, Aldeen, Deb and Deborah.  The line up was never unbearable and, with their good teamwork, the ease of registration flowed into a smoother backpack distribution later in the day. 
As all these activities were going on, the Unity Drummers and Clint Casey provided music and visual entertainment for the crowd.  There was a comfort and strength through the native drumming, singing and dancing.  I am thankful for their songs and presence, it was the one thing that continually grounded and tied us together throughout the day.  

The smell of the grill with hamburgers hotdogs and popcorn filled the park from lunchtime till closing.  The food was taken care of by the VNFC volunteers headed by Jeanette and Corrina.  What an awesome job! Despite the heat and a coating of burger grease smell on them, they fed the hungry crowds with smiles on their faces.  

As the security volunteers, Phil, Nicole, Ken, Harvey, Celina, Brad, Suzanne, Wayne and April were the hawk eyes of the day!  Security was the icing on the cake, ensuring the safety of everyone while consistently picking up garbage the whole afternoon which made clean up a lot quicker.  

We were pleased in welcoming some of the neighbors of Rudd Park to join in the day with us! It’s not everyday they can participate in a Welcome circle, have a bouncy castle to play in and join in other fun, entertainment and crafts in their backyard!

Again many thanks to every one of our volunteers this year, the event would not have been such a success without their extra helping hands!  The  youth and parents provided positive and endearing feedback to various volunteers throughout the day through smiles, laughter and kind words.  We can now only look forward to a successful 5th Annual Back to School Picnic!