Charity Event – The Pickering Squash Club

Children’s Aid and Food Bank: Thank You to All Who Donated

Dear family and friends,

Sincere thanks to all who have donated so generously with food or monetary transfer to the St Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank and Children’s Aid of Durham, serving the needs of many families across our communities of Pickering and Ajax.

St Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank

We are extremely pleased to inform you Dec 11, 2024 we provided 331 pounds of food (a record amount for us), along with significant amount of funds to the food bank. Lindsey Morrill (Food Bank Director) expressed her sincere gratitude for our efforts and significant contributions.

Sadly, demand for support continues to increase substantially, with numbers posted on their site including those helped, individuals fed, volumes distributed and household visits Food Bank | St Paul’s on-the-Hill Community Food Bank | Ajax Pickering | Ontario . Although they receive donations from many sources, she re-iterated “it all goes out as fast as it comes in”, highlighting the need for continuous support.

On behalf of Lindsey Morrill, Rick D’Souza and myself (supported by the Pickering Squash Club), a sincere thank you for supporting our community in need.

Happy New Year to you and loved ones.

Best regards,

Rick D’Souza & Fred Dizig

Pickering Squash Club

PSC Christmas Food Drive in support of St. Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank

Dear Family and Friends,

We are reaching out to you again this year to extend a helping hand to those less fortunate in our communities of Ajax-Pickering, by way of support to the St. Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank.

The need for support continues to grow especially over the past few years as families continue to struggle through a challenging economy, health issues or other reasons. Anything you can offer to help support this effort is greatly appreciated by many. Please feel free to forward this message to extended family and friends who you think may also be able to help.

Please donate by Friday December 6th

Our plan is to deliver all donations received to the Food Bank on Fri Dec 13 2024. If you are able to help, kindly consider the following options:

Donation of food: Drop off in the large green marked container along the wall near the north exit at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex at 1867 Valley Farm Rd. This large container is easily visible and marked accordingly place. A picture is attached here for reference. Alternatively, please send email to either [email protected] or [email protected] to arrange for convenient pick up
Monetary donation (via cheque): Please be sure to make cheques out to “St. Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank”. Their mailing address is 882 Kingston Rd, Pickering Ontario L1V 1A8. However, in the event of continued labour disruption, we would suggest donation via e-transfer or Paypal, as follows;
E-Transfer: All e-transfers are automatically deposited directly to the food bank’s account. Please forward to [email protected] . You could also use the link on their website St Paul’s on-the-hill Community Food Bank See DONATE button at the bottom of their page;
Paypal: They now also accept donations via Paypal. Reference the following link to their home page St Paul’s on-the-hill Community Food Bank
Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20 or more. See details on their site at St Paul’s on-the-hill Community Food Bank

Their most urgent needs at this time include the following items. Please ensure all donated food items are within the ‘best before’ or expiration dates.

Canned Tuna	Breakfast cereals/oatmeal
Pancake Mix	Canned tomatoes
Peanut Butter	Granola bars
Halal items	Canned fruits
Canned corn	Tomato paste
Corned beef	Cooking oil
Juice	Hygiene products
	Dry beans (chickpeas, kidney)

Reference their website for a complete list as this changes from time to time: Food Bank | St Paul’s on-the-Hill Community Food Bank | Ajax Pickering | Ontario

All donations (food and monetary) received will be delivered to Lindsey Morrill (Food Bank Director) at St. Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank at 1537 Pickering Parkway, on December 13 2024. No amount of food or monetary donation is too small. All funds received will be used by the Food Bank team to purchase needed items at wholesale cost, and distributed to those in need. All our efforts to collect and deliver your donations are strictly on a volunteer basis.

Thank you very much again for your consideration and any support you could offer, by Friday Dec 06 2024.

We wish you and loved ones the very best of health and happiness, especially during the coming holiday season.

Kind regards,

Rick D’Souza & Fred Dizig

Pickering Squash Club

Make a Difference This Holiday Season – Join Our Annual Toy Drive & Round Robin!

The holiday season is a time of joy, tradition, and togetherness. But for some families in our community, it can also be a time of great vulnerability. Many face the heartbreak of struggling to provide for their children or maintain cherished traditions, making the holidays feel like a challenge instead of a celebration.

That’s why every year, our squash club comes together for something bigger than squash: our Annual Toy Drive & Round Robin. It’s our way of giving back, supporting families in need, and rediscovering the true spirit of the season.

Join us

Here’s how you can join us:

Sign up for singles on the board in the singles court area and for doubles on the board outside the doubles courts. You can also respond to Nicole and let her know if you would prefer to play doubles or singles and she will add you to the list.

Bring an unwrapped toy and nonperishable food item(s) to donate.
Participate in a fun and friendly round-robin tournament.

Date: Monday Dec. 9th
Time: 6:00 sharp

Why This Matters

By giving, we help families feel the warmth of the holidays and create moments of joy for children who might otherwise go without. It’s also an opportunity to counterbalance the season’s consumerism and focus on what truly matters – kindness, connection, and community.

Celebrate Our Club Community

And let’s not forget, this event isn’t just about helping others. It’s also about celebrating and strengthening the bonds that make our squash club so special. It’s a chance to reconnect with fellow members, share some laughs, and celebrate what it means to be part of a team that cares.

The night will include both doubles and singles squash round-robin fun games for all levels of players and all ages (the more the merrier)! The evening will finish off at Sabina’s restaurant for some drinks and food for those of you who would like to join us!

Join Us and Make a Difference

So, whether you’re here to play, donate, or simply show your support, your presence will make a difference. Together, let’s show the power of our community to bring hope, joy, and generosity to those who need it most.

Looking forward to playing some “fun” squash and helping to put smiles on some children’s faces this holiday season!

2023 Toy Drive A Great Success

On behalf of the PSC executive team, a sincere thank you for joining us for a fun evening of squash, social and contribution to our toy drive in support of the Children’s Aid Society of Durham Region. A better turn out than expected and significant contributions!

Special thanks to Nicole, Steve Dizig, Sara Jane Cresswell, Jim Delouchry, and others (apologies for others missed) who helped organize this special event. We are very pleased to inform you Steve delivered a very large load of toys, including several hand made and donated by previous member, to the CAS this morning. Rest assured all donated toys will be provided to children in need, under the care of the CAS. There are so many heart breaking stories with children we are helping to brighten their day.

Thank you all again for your kindness and generosity, during such difficult times. A huge thank you as well, passed along from the Children’s Aid Society of Durham Region!

Best regards, Merry Christmas, happy holidays and prosperous 2024 to all!

Fred Dizig

President, PSC.

Check out a few pictures from the 2023 Toy Drive Night.

Thank You For the Donation

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you VERY MUCH to all who have donated so generously with food and funds to the St Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank, located on Pickering Parkway, serving the needs of many families across the City of Pickering and Town of Ajax. We are extremely pleased to inform you this past Friday Dec 08 we delivered 2 full large containers (approx 250 pounds) of the various food types, along with over $1,200 in cheques (estimate total $1,500 including direct e-transfers) in funds to the food bank. On behalf of Lindsey Morrill (Food Bank Director), Rick D’Souza and myself (Pickering Squash Club), a sincere THANK YOU for your continued support of our community in need.

Best of the season, happy holidays and Merry Christmas to you and loved ones.

Kind regards,

Rick D’Souza & Fred Dizig

Pickering Squash Club

Food Bank Honours Their Supporters

On Saturday (October 21st). the St Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank held an open house to honour their many supporters and to show off their facility on the Esplanade Parkway, just around the corner from the Recreation Complex.

On their wall, they displayed the logos of their many corporate and community support organizations. I was proud to see The Pickering Squash Club represented there.

The Pickering Squash Club have run a Golf Tournament each summer for 19 years. Initially if was to raise money to fund the building of the Doubles Courts. Once The Club had reached the goal of $250,000 the Executive sought out a charity to donate to. For the last 13 years, the Golf Tournament has raised over $150,000 which has been donated to the Food Bank.

Each Christmas season, members of The Club go out of their way to raise funds by donations and other means. This money is also directed to The Food Bank. As well, each Christmas the Annual Toy Drive collects toys to be donated to Durham Children’s Aid.

It is hoped that The Club can continue to be excellent members of the community by continuing to give its support to this and other worthy charities.

Durham Children’s Aid Thank You

Our Annual Toy Drive for the Durham Children’s Aid was a resounding success again this year. The DCAF showed their appreciation with the following note:

PSC Toy Drive 2022

On Thursday evening, the Membership got together for a great cause. Each member brought a toy (and many brought many toys) so that those less fortunate could have a Happy Christmas. They played hard and laughed. Then the majority got together at Sabina’s to celebrate the Holiday Season.

PSC Members collected Toys for the Children’s Aid Society of Durham

Friday morning, Steve D. delivered an SUV load of toys collected at the event. Very special thanks to Steve for organizing with the Children’s Aid Society of Durham Region and delivering a full load of items, and to Nicole for organizing at the club and messaging our members!

All items were very well received by the team at CAS this morning. They are extremely pleased with our donations which will go directly to children in need, prior to Christmas!

For more pictures from the evening, please view the Club Instagram at the following URL:

Check out the PSC on Instagram: https://instagram.com/PickeringSquash

Christmas Food Drive in aid of St. Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank

Dear Friends,

We are reaching out to you again this year to extend a helping hand to those less fortunate in our community, by way of support to the St. Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank, serving the communities of Ajax-Pickering. Many of us have been touched either directly, family or friends with difficult circumstance (loss of employment, health matters related to COVID or other) resulting in an exponential increase in the past few years in demand for assistance via the food bank to provide for their families.

If you are able to help, kindly consider the following options:

Donation of food and personal items: Please send email to either rickdsouza (at) rogers.com or fred.dizig (at) bell.net to arrange for convenient pick up; or drop off in the large marked containers inside the front lobby at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex at 1867 Valley Farm Rd. These large containers will be in place as of Monday November 21
Monetary donation: Please be sure to make cheques out to “St. Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank”. Their mailing address is 882 Kingston Rd, Pickering Ontario L1V 1A8. Alternately email rickdsouza (at) rogers.com or fred.dizig (at) bell.net to arrange for convenient pick up. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20 or more. Kindly include your name and address on your cheque for reference
E-Transfer: All e-transfers are automatically deposited directly to the food bank’s account. Please forward to [email protected]. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20 or more. Kindly include your name and address for reference

Some of their most urgent needs at this time include:

Kraft dinner	2KG bags of granulated sugar	Baked beans
Oatmeal	Flour	Canned soup (large and small)
Pancake mix	Rice	Dry beans
Jams and spreads (Nutella, Cheese whiz)	Pasta sauce	Canned fruit (large and small)
Crackers	Canned meats	Fruit cups
Granola bars	Canned tuna	Canned vegetables
Mens/womens body wash and soap	Diapers	Baby wipes
Toothbrushes	Toothpaste	Feminine hygiene products

Reference their website for a more complete list: St Paul’s on-the-hill Community Food Bank (stpaulsonthehillfoodbank.ca).

All donations (food and monetary) received will be delivered to Lindsey Morrill (Food Bank Director) at St. Paul’s on the Hill Food Bank at 1537 Pickering Parkway, on December 01 2022. No amount of food or monetary donation is too small. All funds received will be used by the Food Bank team to purchase and distribute much needed items. All our efforts to collect and deliver your donations are strictly on a volunteer basis.

Thank you very much again for your consideration and any support you could offer, by Thursday Dec 01 2022!

We wish you and loved ones the very best of health and happiness, especially during the coming holiday season.

Kind regards,

Rick D’Souza & Fred Dizig
Pickering Squash Club