‘Wheels for Water Ride’

Event Information

The Stouffville Igoma Partnership (SIP) is a registered charity with a humanitarian focus providing opportunities for people, service clubs, churches, schools and businesses within our community to participate in lending assistance and relief to the needy people of the community of Igoma, Tanzania, East Africa. We presently support the Urafiki Health Centre, its operation and its staff. As well, we operate a child sponsorship program for the very needy children in Igoma. Another major project is our secondary school assistance program, providing funds for deserving students of Igoma. We also provide scholarships for other students from this area to attend vocational training schools.

The SIP ‘Wheels for Water Ride’ will take place on Saturday June 2, 2012. The ride will begin at 8:30 am from the Stouffville Town Office (111 Sandiford Drive, Stouffville, ON) and will last approximately 5 hours. Our sincere hope is that you will consider participating as a sponsor for this worthwhile event. This is our first ride event and we are hoping to raise $ 10,000 with all the proceeds going toward our charity for the water project planned for the village of Igoma.

Your participation in this fund raising event will ensure another year of relief and support for the people of Igoma Tanzania. SIP does not receive any government assistance so all of our funds must be raised through event fundraising venues.

We are looking for financial sponsors as well as merchandise donations that can be sold or auctioned off. Thank you for the opportunity to present our needs to you and a SIP representative will contact you shortly regarding this opportunity and how you may wish to be involved in bringing relief to others who have so little. If you have any questions you can also contact a Larry Simpson (SIP Chair) at 416 990-1121 or email at lsspuds@hotmail.com.

File downloads and instructions:

1) Please follow the links below to retrieve event sheets. Fill them out and email back to Larry or print them off and bring them filled out on the day of the event.

2) Please call or email Larry (info above) to let us know you’re coming (and/or how many in your group) so we have an idea of how many people to expect.  Thanks and we look forward to seeing you for this ride!

Click here for Event Sponsorship Confirmation Form

Click here for Event Sponsor Sheet

STOUFFVILLE IGOMA PARTNERSHIP

Joining Hands – Creating Hope

Charity Registration No. 82258 2078 RR0001

Gold Sponsors:  Simpson Produce, the Mayor’s Golf Tournament, Lynn Corp & 

Aveco Pools

Silver Sponsors:  Farmer Jacks;     

Bronze Sponsors:  Safebridge, Nutri-Lawn, Scotia Bank and Kim & Jennifer Reesor of Gallo Real Estate as well as Stouffville Hyundai for their support.

Next year “FOOD FOR THOUGHT” will return to Sleepy Hollow Golf Course and Country Club on Monday, April 1st, 2012 so mark your calendars. Participants next year will include Annie’s Kitchen, Baked at Frankie’s, Boston Pizza, Candlelight and Memories, Catering by Mario, The Cornerhouse on Main, Charlinda Belgian Chocolates, Frankie’s, SGT. Peppers Pub & Grill, Stakeout Dinning Room & Lounge, Stouffville Creek Retirement Residence, The Earl of Whitchurch, Velvet Sunrise, Willow Springs Winery and Water Depot. Thank you for supporting our work in Igoma, Tanzania!

This is a fabulous opportunity to raise funds and awareness and also to showcase many of the fantastic restaurants in the Stouffville area. Restaurants will be providing “tasting” stations and guests will be treated to a buffet style meal sampling the many wondering tastes that Stouffville has to offer. You will be treated to samplings from places like; The SteakOut Dining Room, Sgt. Peppers, Earl of Whitchurch, Frankies, Willow Springs Winery and a host of others from the area.

Tickets are being sold by SIP Board members and are available by calling Helene Johnson at 416-346-5133. Tickets are $50 each and include unlimited tasting buffet, door prizes and entertainment. Funds raised will directly support SIPs efforts to improve access to medical care and education in Igoma, Tanzania.

Watch the local newspaper over the next few weeks for additional details. We hope to see you and your friends there. It’s a great way to show your continued support for the Stouffville Igoma Partnership!

“I support the program here, but I didn’t realize the impact that our support has, and what a worthwhile cause it is,” she said. “I had no idea how much difference your $30 a month makes.” She cited the case of a young child with a club foot who went to the clinic and was referred to the big hospital for assessment.

“They found that he didn’t need surgery but (his treatment) was going to require 10 trips with casts and splits. We wanted to pay for that, so we pooled our money to cover the cost. It was a wonderful feeling, yet it cost next to nothing in our terms.”

Susan Kerswill, a nurse from Stouffville who first went to Igoma in 2007, told Dale she had noticed some big improvements since her last visit. “People were working more, there were a lot of retail stores on the main street,” said Dale. “It was more advanced than I thought it would be and I was very impressed with the health clinic that SIP sponsors.”

While Susan worked at the clinic, Dale helped to distribute more than 300 mosquito nets to area homes. She was also part of a group that painted, cleaned and repaired a residence near the clinic, which houses a nurse and a lab technician.

“We visited some of the schools where the students are supported by the people back here through SIP. The people we met were so welcoming to Canadians and very appreciative of everything we do from here and what we did there,” she said.

When asked if she would like to return, Dale didn’t hesitate. “I would go back in a heartbeat.”

Meanwhile, SIP recently adopted a child sponsorship program called I-Care. “This program, which began with a couple who visited Igoma several years ago, supports children through the purchase of uniforms and supplies which allows them to attend school,” said Justin Kerswill, who is on the SIP board of directors. Sponsorships are $30 a month and cover the cost of a mosquito net for protection against malaria, as well as a mattress and food.

The partnership is currently participating in an initiative called One SIP At A Time in collaboration with Stouffville’s Velvet Sunrise Coffee Roasters. Two dollars per lb of the company’s SIP-labelled coffee purchased by residents will be donated to the charity, while five per cent of gross purchases through commercial workplaces will go to SIP.

On April 4, SIP is hosting Food for Thought at Sleepy Hollow Golf and Country Club on Tenth Line. Food and drinks will be provided by area restaurants, wineries and breweries and the evening will also feature a silent auction, live entertainment and free draws.

Tickets are $50 and are available by calling 905-640-6134 or 416-346-5133. Net proceeds will be used for educational and medical projects in Igoma.

By Kate Gilderdale,
Stouffville Free Press