We, all of us at OSCA (staff and volunteers), want to thank Old Ottawa South once again for your generosity to the “Save Our Firehall” campaign. Your pledges and contributions have surpassed $110K. That’s a lot to be proud of! You have made it possible to keep our doors open.
To those of you who pledged your support on a monthly or recurring basis, thank you for your ongoing support. No amount is too small and every donation adds up. It’s a tremendous financial and moral "boost" as we strengthen our capacity to offer more programs and services.
Safety remains our top priority and we continue to meet and even exceed Ottawa Public Health COVID-19 recommendations. We look forward to seeing more of you.
Frankly, an old wooden box makes a rather poor footing. As restoration of the OTLBC Clubhouse gathers steam in winter 2021-22 and a century of makeshift repairs is exposed, there have been some real surprises. One of these was the discovery of a wooden Coca-Cola box, filled with concrete and jammed in to support a beam holding up the floor. Clearly maintaining the Clubhouse has not been a priority in the past century. But why not?
In support of the Ottawa Food Bank.
Donate in person: December 11, 2021 (10am-1pm) Patty’s Pub Patio, 1186 Bank Street
When we first started planning the Online Art Auction for the Save Our Firehall campaign, we had no idea it would turn out to be such a success. Twenty-six local artists donated thirty-five pieces of art to the campaign. Over the summer, we had 7 online auction cycles raising $3,545 so far.
The final auction cycle, featuring five remaining unsold works of art, will close Sunday, September 26, 2021.
Abbotsford is bursting at the seams with donations that they were unable to sell while they were closed to the public. They are now planning to sell these items in a Blow-Out (Everything Must Go) Sale on Saturday, August 28, 2021. Bargains galore!
We are working our way through the fabulous local artwork donated to OSCA’s Save Our Firehall campaign. Over $1300 has been raised so far! Visit us @saveourfirehall on Facebook. Bidding on the latest artwork posted ends Sunday, July 25, 2021.
The Save Our Firehall Online Art Auction was inspired by several amazing individuals and families in OOS who’ve come up with unique, inventive, and creative ways to raise money for the Save Our Firehall campaign: neighbours like Shelley and Sean Kennedy, who built birdhouses, or Candace Newman and family who baked ‘Fire cookies.’
When I saw those posts on the Old Ottawa South Facebook Group, I wondered how I might contribute. Perhaps by selling or auctioning a painting? But it wasn’t until Bess Fraser contacted the Firehall with an idea to auction off one of her paintings, that the idea took hold. OSCA staff members Darcy Middaugh and Luke Sears contacted Winnie Pietrykowski and me and we started brainstorming about how we could expand this idea.
Ottawa Songwriters Uplifting the Mayfair (OSUM) — Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16, 2021 on YouTube (free) and on Zoom (ticketed). Two events of music, a silent auction, and more to raise funds for Mayfair Theatre.
When gyms and recreation facilities closed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, many OOS residents returned to or increased our most fundamental form of exercise—walking. In the process, we re-discovered our local neighbourhoods, got to know our neighbours better and found ourselves developing a greater sense of community. Often, we were not alone in our efforts, walking our dogs or alongside a grandchild or friend with whom we shared experiences, frustrations, and sometimes sorrows.
Glebe Collegiate Institute will be holding its ‘Kids 4 Kids’ CHEO drive virtually this year, the fundraiser will run from May 1st to June 22nd 2021. Glebe’s CHEO drive is an annual event run by students and staff at Glebe Collegiate Institute to help raise funds for the CHEO Foundation. Every year, Glebe students organize amazing events and canvas door to door to raise funds for CHEO. Unfortunately, these in person events can’t happen this year, but we will still have plenty of opportunities for you to donate virtually.
Last month we shared a story called “Birdhouses Galore” describing Shelley and Sean Kennedy’s stockpile of homemade birdhouses. It began as a hobby to while away the pandemic hours, but soon enough there were more birdhouses than any one backyard could possibly use. And so the Kennedys decided to fundraise for the Firehall, selling the birdhouses for $10/each on the Old Ottawa South Group Facebook page.
As of mid-April, 41 birdhouses have gone out the door to provide new homes for our feathered friends in OOS. Shelley and Sean continue to be impressed by the generosity of their neighbours. Donations from the “birdhouse lark” now total $825 – proof positive that no donation is too small and that every dollar counts.
