Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre and the Alberta Health Services’ Move Your Mood program are hosting a community barbecue fundraiser on June 20 that will also give people an opportunity to take part in the ParticipACTION Community Challenge.
The barbecue, by donation, will run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. south of RDP’s Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, near the Centre of Excellence. Money raised will go to the advocacy centre and Move Your Mood.
Both organizations will be moving to the new Centre of Excellence which is under construction.
The three-storey, 66,000-square-foot Centre of Excellence will also include the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre, Alberta Health Services: Red Deer Child and Youth Addiction and Mental Health Outpatient Clinic, and the Step Up Step Down youth program.
Related:
Construction to begin on Centre of Excellence to help children and youth in central Alberta
Dylan Rambow, communications co-ordinator for Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre, said the barbecue will mark one year since the groundbreaking for the Centre of Excellence.
He said the advocacy centre, which supports children and youth and families impacted by child abuse, should be moving into its new home by the end of August.
In February the advocacy centre announced a $12-million public fundraising campaign that has brought in $9.8 million.
“We’ve made some big strides since we announced our public campaign. We’re still not over the finish line yet, but we’re very appreciative of the public and private donors, and organizations and businesses have all come together to support us. It’s been truly overwhelming,” Rambow said.
Related:
Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre responds to rising demand with frozen funding
Move Your Mood promotes physical activity and healthy lifestyle practices. Denise Fredeen, a health promotion facilitator with the program, said therapists talk to kids all the time about how sleep, nutrition and exercise are important for their mental well-being and the Move Your Mood studio will help kids at the Centre of Excellence to be active.
“All professionals in the building will be able to come and bring kids to experience ways to improve their mental health,” Fredeen said.
She said those who come out to the barbecue will also be encouraged to walk as many laps as they can around the pond near the Centre of Excellence and record their activity for the ParticipACTION challenge underway this month.
Fredeen will also lead Centre of Excellence construction workers from Eagle Builders in an activity to promote ParticipACTION.
Red Deer won the community challenge in 2022 and was named Canada’s Most Active Community. The city is attempting to retain the title this year.
On Thursday, Red Deer ranked fourth nationally and was in first place in Alberta.
To learn more about the ParticipACTION Community Challenge visit www.participaction.com or Red Deer Community Better on Facebook.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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