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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-09-08, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011. PAGE 9. Blyth girl to chop locks for cancer this Sunday On Sept. 11 five-year-old Ava Ansley of Blyth is heading to the Clinton Raceway for a haircut. Horsin’ Around for Childhood Cancer will be held on Sunday at the Raceway’s post time of 1:30 p.m. The event will run throughout the afternoon and will be free for families who have been affected by childhood cancer. The afternoon will feature all kinds of activities for children and adults that will raise awareness and raise funds for Childcan, an organization that provides responsive and compassionatesupport services to families facingthe journey through childhood cancer. Ava started her full-day school career this week at Blyth Public School as she entered Grade 1, but she has been growing her hair with the intent of cutting it off for years. It all began when her cousin, Mikayla Ansley, also of Blyth, was sick with a form of childhood occular cancer called Retinoblastoma. Mikayla was facing the prospect of losing her hair while going through chemotherapy and follow-up treatment and Ava pledged her head of hair then and there. Mikayla has since taken a turn forthe better and has her own full headof hair to show off, but that didn’t weaken Ava’s resolve, as she will still be donating her hair so a wig can be made for another little girl affected with a form of childhood cancer. Ava and Mikayla are great friends, who see each other often, so Ava says she understands the gravity of the good deed she’s doing. And if the opportunity were to present itself once again, Ava says she would donate her hair again without hesitation. As far as preparation for Sunday, Ava says there isn’t much more for her to do, other than to just show up. The hard work is done, now that her hair has grown to a length long enough that she can donate it. Ava’s parents, Dave and Jenn, say they’re proud of Ava and of the very adult sacrifice she’ll be making over the weekend. In addition to having a hairdresser on hand all afternoon at the Clinton Raceway, an entire lap of the track will be dedicated to those who continue to battle, and those who courageously lost their battle with cancer too soon. The day will include a toonie auction, face-painting, freezies, popcorn, lemonade and a cookie stand, as well as a free lunch. Happy Hands of Wax from Stratford will also be in Clinton to provide families will creative wax memories from that day. All children in attendance will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with a retired racehorse as well. That will be taking place between 1 p.m. and3:30 p.m. Wave goodbye Five-year-old Ava Ansley of Blyth is just days away from saying goodbye to a good chunk of her blonde locks, but she’s doing it for a great cause. Ansley will be cutting her hair so it can aid in the making of a wig for a young patient of childhood cancer. (Shawn Loughlin photo) Architect moves to Blyth due to tornado damage Continued from page 3 up there, but I did get my computer and CAD drafting equipment.” Fortunately, Rutledge was able to recover his information on his current and immediately upcoming projects, but some information about future projects has yet to be uncovered. “I’m hoping it’s here somewhere, I just have to find it,” he said. Rutledge was fortunate enough to be out of town when the tornado touched down in Goderich’s downtown core, but found out about it just an hour after it happened. “I was in Owen Sound for the Summer Folk Music Festival,” he said. “I attend it annually and have only missed four out of the 36 years its run.” One of the stage crew members was from Goderich and, having not told any of his friends where he was, there was some concern when he couldn’t be found. He was discovered through his cell phone, and tried to find Rutledge to tell him. Rutledge, after finding out, was shown pictures by another area resident on their cell phone. “I knew within less than an hour about it happening, that’s how fast the news travelled,” he said. “I couldn’t return until Tuesday, and ended up visiting some friends, but I knew pretty much as soon as it happened.” The effect of the tornado has been one that Rutledge could definitely describe. “It’s been like having the rug pulled out from under your feet, actually, not in the literal sense,” Rutledge said. “People aren’t used to not being able to do something. They’re just stunned and don’t know what to do. “People are so used to going about business all the time, they don’t know what they can or can’t do,” he said. More than one person has asked Rutledge whether he believes Goderich will be restored to what it was. “My answer is no,” he said. “We don’t know what type of rebuilding will be done,” he said. Rutledge said that the local heritage committee has a tough job ahead of them, deciding which buildings can be saved. “An architect and engineer from Heritage Canada came in to make sure designated heritage buildings are reviewed by the local heritage committee,” he said. “They want to make sure historic buildings are not torn down needlessly.” With initial estimates having 90 to 100 per cent of all the downtown core being restorable, according to Rutledge, that’s almost a certainty. Moving his office to Blyth will probably be long-term, as the reconstruction of Goderich’s downtown core is going to take some time, however Rutledge doesn’t know whether he will return or not. “It’s nice to be back in Blyth, I’m definitely not a stranger here,” he said with a laugh. “But as to whether this is permanent or not, I have no idea.” Rutledge also stated that he had to thank Eric Coates, the artistic director at the Blyth Festival, for a contribution to his office. “I have to thank Eric for making a new sign in the theatre workshop for me,” he said. “It was a great welcome to Blyth.” DANIELLE BEAN Danielle is the daughter of Dana and Joyce Bean of Auburn. An Ontario Scholar from Goderich District Collegiate Institute, Danielle will be studying Kinestheology at The University of Western Ontario. KATELYN ROETCISOENDER An Ontario Scholar from Goderich District Collegiate Institute, Katelyn is the daughter of Richard and Patricia Roetcisoender of Auburn. She will be studying Economics and Financial Management at Wilfrid Laurier University. GDCI Ontario Scholars McKILLOP MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY 519-527-0400 1-800-463-9204 F T www.mckillopmutual.com POSITION OF DIRECTOR MCKILLOP MUTUAL Insurance Company has an opening for the position of director. The board of directors are accepting resumes from interested eligible policyholders. Please forward your resume by Sept. 30,2011 to the attention of Ken Jones, McKillop Mutual Insurance Company, P. O. Box 819, 91 Main Street South Seaforth, Ontario N0K 1W0 e-mail ken@mckillopmutual.com A signed welcome John Rutledge of Goderich is returning to the area to run his business out of a building on Blyth’s main street. Rutledge, an architect, had his office rendered unusable by a recent tornado that hit Goderich. Originally from Brussels, Rutledge is a familiar face around Blyth and was presented with a new sign, shown here, by the Blyth Festival’s Eric Coates to welcome him to the community. (Denny Scott photo) REPRINTS OF PHOTOS taken by Citizen photographers are available to purchase. ALL ARE IN COLOUR 4x6 - $4.00 5x7 - $5.00 8x10 - $8.00 Phone to order ~ 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114 By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen