Coal Harbour
One of the highlights of the annual Wellness Show, which runs Feb. 13 to 15 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, is dedicated to women.
The Women and Wellness Series includes workshops, presentations and demonstrations on everything from massage therapy and women’s health, to the “Seven Deadly Estro-Sins: Learn the Facts about Xenoestrogens.”
Besides women, the Wellness Show literally has something for everyone, including a celebrity cooking stage, Dairy Farmers of Canada’s All You Need is Cheese seminar, fitness demonstrations, kids activities, “Natural Beauty and RawSome
Living” areas, exhibitors and promotions of wellness information on everything from nutrition and travel to aromatherapy, pet health, Chinese medicine and health assessments. For a complete list of events, exhibitors and ticket information, visit thewellnessshow.com.
Stanley Park
The Investors Group Walk for Memories is a great way to support families in your community impacted by Alzheimer’s and other dementias and to support research to find a cure.
Gather friends, family and co-workers to honour the memory or celebrate the life of a person living with dementia. Each of the walks is dedicated to an honoree — a person impacted by Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. To that end, this year’s walk celebrates Barry Ritter, who has owned a sales and marketing agency for consumer electronics for more than 30 years. Ritter was forced to retire several years ago due to the changes brought on by Alzheimer’s disease. Ritter and wife Myrna credit the Alzheimer Society of B.C. for providing them with support and education for today and the future. They’re also grateful for how support groups have provided an opportunity to connect with others.
Register now at no cost as a team or individual. Those who can’t make it to the event can take part and still raise money by choosing a virtual walk. This annual event takes place in communities across B.C. on the last Sunday in January, as part of National Alzheimer Awareness Month. In Vancouver the event takes place Jan. 25 at the Stanley Park Pavilion on Pipeline Road with registration at noon and the five-kilometre walk ongoing from 1 to 3 p.m. For more information, call 604-681-6530 or toll-free 1-800-667-3742. Visit walkformemories.com for more information.
Champlain Heights
The Champlain Heights Branch of the Vancouver Public Library is hosting a program designed to help dads, uncles, step-dads, foster dads, granddads and all male caregivers learn language play for babies up to 18 months old.
The Man in the Moon program, created for very young children and the men who love them, takes place Saturdays until March 7 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the library, 7110 Kerr St. The program is free, but registration is required by calling 604-665-3955.
For a complete list of events, visit vpl.ca/events.
Province wide
The War Amps begins its 2015 key tag mailing to B.C. residents this week with a message promising the organization is here to help.
In a letter accompanying the key tags, two parents, Melissa and Steven, describe how the War Amps provided emotional and financial support to their family from the day they learned their daughter Ella, now 8 years old, would be born missing her right hand.
The couple registered Ella in the Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program before she was even born. Since then, the family has received financial assistance for artificial limbs and attended regional seminars so they can meet other child amputees and their parents, share experiences and exchange advice. At three months, Ella received her first artificial arm and now she has two — a myoelectric arm for everyday and a lightweight one for swimming and dance, which she can add attachments to for activities such as gymnastics and paddling a kayak.
About the program: War Amps tags protect any keys, which make them more vital than ever considering the high replacement cost of electronic door openers and anti-theft devices. Each key tag has a confidentially coded number. Should the keys be lost, the finder can call the toll-free number on the back of the tag, or deposit them in any mailbox, and the keys will be returned to the owner by bonded courier.
The War Amps receives no government grants. Instead, its programs are possible through public support of the key tag and address label service.
For more information or to order key tags, call toll-free 1-800-250-3030 or visit waramps.ca.
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