August 7: Community Event
Posted on 14. Jul, 2010 by I Have Hope in General News, In The News
Thana Dharmarajah
GUELPH — Brittany Martyn saw hope in Lesotho.
It is the same hope she wants a dozen other local high school students to see when they travel to Lesotho, Africa for three weeks next summer as part of a Student Reach International program called “Reach Lesotho.”
“Lesotho is probably the most welcoming country I travelled to,” said Martyn, board chair of Student Reach International.
“The hospitality you experience from strangers is beyond anything you would experience in North America. I saw a lot of hope there. There is a real sense of community.”
In order to help finance the trip, Student Reach International representatives are organizing a charity fair on Aug. 7 entitled Tsosa Molota — meaning ‘to gather hope’ in Lesotho.
The event will be held at the University of Guelph from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We want to gather hope in the community,” said Ashleigh Martyn, one of the organizers and a recent University of Guelph graduate. “We are hoping to get people out there to enjoy the event.”
The community-focused fair will feature live music from Pocket City, DJ Baker, cellist Adam Hart-Owens and others. Participants can register online to take part in an ultimate Frisbee tournament and raise $280 per team. Guests will be able to buy food and drinks, including cotton candy and popcorn. Games and activities will also take place such as palm readings and the jelly bean guessing game.
A charity art auction will also be held in the Bullring, featuring artwork from local artists such as Rob O’Flanagan and Perryn Kruth.
Advance tickets to the fair are available online on the event site http://www.GuelphGathering.com for $7 and a free Bracelet of Hope. Passes for $10 are available on the day of the event. Passes aren’t required to attend the event but provide guests discounted prices on activities and food.
Funds raised at the event will assist the 12 high school students to head to Lesotho. While there, they will film a documentary that will be shared with 1,000 schools throughout 2012.
The Reach Lesotho program aims to inspire Canadian students to get involved in their community while raising awareness about HIV/AIDS in Lesotho.
