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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2013-12-04, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, December 4, 2013 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com Seaforth Huron Expositor WEEK 33 — VOL. 151 PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 P.O. Box 69, 8 Main Street Seaforth Ontario NOK phone: 519-527-0240 fax: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor Pr' SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca WHITNEY SOUTH Multimedia Journalist seaforth.news@sunmedia.ca MAXWELL BICKFORD Advertising Rep. max.bickford@sunmedia.ca DIANNE MCGRATH Front Office seaforth.classifieds@sunmedia.ca Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 69 Seaforth ON NOK 1W0 For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: phone: 519-527-0240 Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. CanadW editorial Take the time to volunteer In today's day and age we can always take comfort in the fact so many people are willing to give to those less fortunate, often finding those extra dol- lars despite their own economic situations. But what many don't realize is there is more than one way to help those in need and though donations of items are always appreciated, the most valuable gift anyone can really give is their time. Organizations, no matter how big or small, are con- stantly looking for volunteers to help out, especially during the holiday season. According to Statistics Canada, a small proportion of volunteers are doing most of the work in organiza- tions across the country. In fact, in 2010,10 per cent of volunteers accounted for 53 per cent of all volunteer hours given to non-profit and charitable organiza- tions. This hardworking group of Canadians dedicated more than 390 hours to their volunteer activities, the equivalent of at least 10 weeks in a full-time job. Another 15 per cent of volunteers logged between 161 and 390 hours, corresponding to between 4 and almost 10 full-time weeks of unpaid work; they con- tributed 24 per cent of the total hours devoted to vol- unteer work in 2010. Residents of Seaforth show their generosity each year, giving to different causes and charities around town. Programs like the local food bank and Christ- mas Bureau continue to do well, even with the number of registered families on the rise. Programs like the Christmas Bureau are put in place to help the community, distributing toys and clothing to those who are struggling to make ends meet. Last year's bureau saw 54 families with 125 children register. Though food bank donations were down from the previous year, organizers still had plenty to go around. In fact, the Christmas Bureau had leftover toys sent to Best Start programs and The Toy Bus, while surplus clothing went to Blessings in Zurich. During it all, a small but mighty band of individuals work tirelessly, taking care of those less fortunate. But, as many of the area's volunteers begin to age, there is a need for new recruits. It is not up to them to keep carrying the torch. More people need to step up and lend a helping hand if these wonderful programs are to continue. Though everyone's lives continue to only get busier with work, sports and other activities, it is important to remember to help others. Just donating an hour or two a week can make all the difference. By volunteering with a charitable organization, joining one of the county's several service clubs or even just lending a hand to a neighbour in need, the giving of time is the best gift of all. Leave Black Friday to Americans Whitney South Huron Expositor Another American Black Friday has passed as expected. Reports of injuries and even death once again plagued the annual shopping holiday, where the value of human life continues to be measured against the value of a discount big screen TV. Our friends to the south have shown us just how greedy the human race can be. Satire websites posted out- rageous stories, including one who reported the day's death count in the thousands, which many folks on Facebook took fact instead of fiction. But the reality is, Black Fri- day has always seemed to come with a price. Website BlackFridayDeathCount.com, continues to compile a list of deaths and injuries related to the now infamous shopping day. It reports that, as of 2006, there have been a total of seven deaths and 89 injuries caused by hysterical shoppers and massive crowds in search of the best bargains. Just to hammer this home, there is a website dedicated to keeping track of how many people have died while shopping. Now, to be fair, it isn't always about death. This years events appear to have seen only one fatality involving an early morning bargain hunter falling asleep at the wheel on the drive home. However, what's more disturbing are reports like that of the Huffin- gton Post, which gathered and posted tweets from those wit- nessing people beating each other up over cheap towels at Walmart. But hey, according to a statement released by Wal - mart Friday, they sold 2.8 mil- lion of those towels. Looks like it paid off. Column Whitney South In recent years, Canadian retailers have tried to cash in on the concept by offering big incentives and even bigger sales the day after American Thanksgiving. An effort to keep shoppers on this side of the border, stores advertising huge discounts on everything from clothes to electronics preach big savings, many stretching into the weekend. All the while maintaining the name, Black Friday. It's easy to understand busi- nesses not wanting to simply roll over while their sales head into the states, and it's even easier to understand the pub- lic's need for more economi- cal shopping. But why are we letting them attach us to a for- eign concept constantly plagued with violence? We are Canadians. Our reputation is not one of consumerism, greed and violence. Why not offer these sales, while main- taining our own identity? Show our individuality. As we all heading out to the malls, Let's show our Ameri- can neighbours what the holiday season is really about. It's not about getting the best deal, or fighting over the last Barbie. It's about love, caring and kindness. Appreciating what we have and showing goodwill towards others. If we can remember those simple things, we can keep Christmas as a time of joy, not one of darkness. 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