2020 Toy Drive A huge Success. Thank You

Thank you so much to our membership who came through in a big way to fill the barrels with toys for girls and boys. The Durham Children’s Aide Society (DCAS) volunteers were thrilled when Rick D’Souza, Steve and Fred Dizig pulled up this afternoon to deliver all the wonderful gifts that The Club had collected over the last few weeks.

Thank you for the special efforts of Rick D’Souza for providing the barrels, Joan Hill for the signs and Rick, Fred and Steve for delivering to the DCAS. And thank you to Jody Morris and her staff at the Recreation Complex for their support of this project.

Our membership is second to none. In the middle of a pandemic when you are barred from playing the game you love, you come through like gangbusters.

We look forward to next year when we can again have a roaring Fun Tournament Night like we have in the past.

The Squash Club Executive

Time Running out on the Christmas Toy Drive

The Toy Drive is in full swing and going well.   The barrels all have toys in them.  Thank you to those who have made the trek to the Recreation Complex and deposited toys for the Toy Drive. 

But we did notice that there was a lonely little bear at the bottom of one barrel.  He’s wishing that a lot more toys will join him in the barrel. 

This coming week (Nov 23rd) is the last week for collecting.  We must deliver the toys to the Durham Children’s Aid Society next weekend.  If you do intend to donate, please do it sooner than later.  This weekend would be a good time.  The latest news from Ontario is that Durham is moving into the RED ZONE.  This may mean a curtailing of play at the Squash Courts as early as this coming Monday.   

Another of the club’s pet charities,  The St Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank,  is also in need of our help at this time of year.  I drove past the Food Bank last Friday morning and I was saddened to see the lineup of people waiting to get help.   Normally our club runs the Pickering Squash Club Golf Tournament in Support of the Food Bank.  This year, because of the pandemic, we had to cancel the tournament.  This meant that the usual $10,000 to $12,000 that the Food Bank would get from our efforts was not there this year.  If you are considering making charitable donations this season, please consider the St Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank.  They do accept donations on-line at the following:

https://www.stpaulsonthehillfoodbank.ca/on-line-donations.php

Each year, the Pickering Squash Club Members band together to help make Christmas a little better for those less fortunate. The challenges of 2020 are not going to stop us from continuing this tradition.   Let’s show that the Pickering Squash Club is ready to help. 

The Executive of The Pickering Squash Club

2020 Christmas Toy Drive

Each year, the Pickering Squash Club Members band together to help make Christmas a little better for those less fortunate. The challenges of 2020 are not going to stop us from continuing this tradition.

This year we will not be able to have our annual Toy Drive Round Robin Fun Night. Covid-19 has put a damper on this. The Club will instead provide new ways to collect donations for this worthy cause.

In association with the City of Pickering and the Chestnut Hills Developments Recreation Complex (The Pickering Recreation Complex) we are setting up DONATION BOXES in the lobby of the Recreation Complex. We are encouraging all our members to bring new unwrapped toys to drop off in the boxes. The drop off point will be available till the last week in November when the Club Executive will deliver them to the Durham Children’s Aid Society. This will give the Society time to sort and distribute then to needy families.

The courts are now open for play. Reserve a court. Get out and play a match. And when you do, bring along an unwrapped toy for the Donation Box.

The 2019 gang with all the toys ready to go to the Durham Children’s Aid Society