Smiles

Pachyderms on parade

Going for a ride of their lives six youngsters ride one of two Asian elephants in Red Deer on Tuesday. The Royal Canadian Circus performed two shows at the Arena which included a bicycle comedy act, equestrians, classical clown capers, and high flying acrobats. READ

Fitness Fun Run in Red Deer

The first ever Mother's Day Run, also know as the Only Women's Fitness Fun Run, took place in Red Deer on Sunday. READ

Time together on Mother's Day

The only thing better than spending the day with mom at the playground is when she decides to join in on some of the fun activities. READ

Sod busters

Parker Depalme, left, and Logan Cressey were part of the 27 Red Deer West 4H Beef Club members who volunteered to lay some 13,000 square feet of sod around the Ronald McDonald House on Saturday. READ

Feeding time at Heritage Ranch

Vayda Engler, age two, enjoys the horses at Heritage Ranch in Red Deer. Vayda and her mom, Nicki Engler, come often to this park because Vayda loves horses and wants to feed them carrots. READ

Home front - May 10

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation’s annual one-day community garage sale to raise money for the Central Alberta Women’s Emergency Shelter (CAWES) is set for May 12. Garage Sale for Shelter takes place in the parking lot of 3608 Gaetz Ave. starting at 9 a.m. and wrapping up at 5 p.m. People can set up their own tables in the parking lot or they can host their own garage sale as part of the community challenge. Registration is $25. Participants will receive a garage sale kit with stickers, signage and tips for a successful garage sale. Residents who host their own sale with all or some of the proceeds going to the shelter and raise the most money for CAWES will win an iPad 2. The community sale will feature a free barbecue, children’s activities and entertainment. To register contact, Darlis Bachusky at 403-358-4981 or darlisbachusky@royallepage.ca. READ

Big Moo riders

Jacob, left, and Logan White are from Victoria, B.C., visiting relatives in Central Alberta. When they spotted the big plastic cow outside the Big Moo Ice Cream Parlor in Sylvan Lake, their first impulse was to get on for ride. With a little help from Dad, they got on and thoughts of ice cream vanished — for the moment. READ

Preparing for a big trip

Happy with their paddling skills, Nicki Gilliland and Sophie Falls of Hunting Hills High School laugh as they head back to shore on Monday during a practice session with classmates on Monday. The two Physical Education 30 students were working on their skills at the Great West Adventure Park boat launch on the Red Deer River in preparation for a class canoe trip on the North Saskatchewan River later this week. READ

Fly-in gyroplane

Fifty aircraft flew in and 273 people showed up for breakfast at the Red Deer Flying Club’s annual Fly In/Drive In Pancake Breakfast at the Skywings Aviation Hangar at the Red Deer Airport on Sunday. One of the more interesting aircraft was a gyroplane flown by Jon Pridie of Wetaskiwin, who is only one of two certified gyroplane instructors in Canada. He has been flying them since 1996. This particular model took two months to build, and this is his second one. In 2000, his first one was stolen. READ

McHappy Day drive-thru

Ronald McDonald House Central Alberta Sr. fund development assistant Jennifer McGhee, right, hands Alison Colton of Lacombe her order at the drive-thru window at McDonalds in south Red Deer Wednesday afternoon. Patrons to McDonald’s restaurants across Canada took part in the 19th annual McHappy Day fundraising event. READ

The ghost of Sorenson Station

Immortalized in bronze, Julietta Sorensen looks south on 49th Ave. in Red Deer as artists Brian McArthur and Dawn Detarando install their six-piece sculpture outside the Red Deer Transit Sorensen Station on Wednesday afternoon. READ

May Day dance steps

Doing a traditional dance from El Salvador on the veranda of the Cronquist House at Bower Ponds, Amparo Calderon shows off her colourful dress and fancy footwork Tuesday afternoon. Calderon was volunteering at the International May Day Tea at the Cronquist House and spontaneously broke into her dance after participating in a May Pole Dance with other volunteers. READ

Blood matters

Participating in the last day of the Blood Matters campaign Camille Bailer director of the Alberta Health Services Central Zone, laboratory Services with the help of phlebotomist Liz Korsh gives a unit of blood on Monday afternoon. READ

Head over heels

Not quite a headstand, not quite a cartwheel and not really a handstand — but nonetheless a feet of acrobatic skill — Breanna Helmer gets upside down during the lunch hour recess at the Holy Family Elementary School in Red Deer on Tuesday. Helmer was joined by her Grade 1 classmates getting in a little physical exercise in the playing field just outside the school. READ

Gasoline Alley cleanup

Tom Ross and his father Steven along with other members of the Red Deer Woodchucks Jr. Forest Wardens in Red Deer got together with the County of Red Deer Wednesday to do what they could to clean up the land in the Gasoline Alley area south of Red Deer. About 30 families took part in the event. READ

Thurber Idol

Showing some fine Bollywood dance moves Bhaavna Pillay performs during Thurber Idol Search 2012 at the Memorial Centre on Tuesday. 15 student acts from Lindsay Thurber High School acts took to the stage Tuesday vying for $700 in prizes and the bragging rights to being the winner of the 10th annual edition of Thurber Idol. READ