It's hard to keep anything a secret from Bob and Mary Lou Bolger, however, when they entered the Senator Rheal Belisle Centre on Saturday, March 17, 2007, they were surprised! Scott and Manon did an excellent job of doing all of the arranging and sending out invitations to people they knew would want to share in this glorious moment with two of their dearest friends.

The special evening was organized to pay tribute to the over 40 years that Bob and Mary Lou have devoted to serving the community through the Kin Club of Valley East.

During the evening Bob and Mary Lou were presented with awards and certificates of appreciation from all levels of government, as well as National District Zone and Club recognition.

Among the dignitaries on hand to make presentations were Kinsmen District Governor: Dave Ronson; Kinsmen District Vice Governor: Paul Shepard; and Kinsmen Zone Deputy Gover: Dan Xilon

 

Deputy Mayor Ron Dupuis was on hand to make a presentation from the City of Greater Sudbury and to congratulate Bob and Mary Lou Bolger for the remarkable work they have done in this community for over forty years.

   Manon and Scott Bolger stand inside the steel container at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre, looking over some of the fireworks that will be on sale by the Kin Club of Valley East in advance of the July 1 Canada Day. 

The Club will be at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre parking lot on Wednesday, June 28, Thursday, June 29 and Friday, June 30.  

Funds generated are then distributed by the Kin Club to local Food Banks and several other organizations in need of financial support. The Kin Club operates out of the playground building in Blezard Valley where it is open Monday to Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 during the summer months to provide refreshments to the minor baseball players. The club house is also open whenever weekend tournaments are held at the fields.
 
   Bob and Mary-Lou Bolger, have been involved in a variety of leadership positions with the local group for over 20 years. “Serving the community’s greatest needs” has been the motto for the Kin Club of Valley East, which has been quietly working to improve the quality of life for so many residents for so many years. 
  
   If you are looking at purchasing fireworks for the July 1 holiday, give some thought to supporting the Kin Club of Valley East. The fireworks are less expensive than you will find most other places and all of the profits go directly back into the community.

   Manon and Scott Bolger stand inside the steel container at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre, looking over some of the fireworks on sale by the Kin Club of Valley East during the Victoria Day Weekend. The club also sells fireworks for the Canada Day celebrations. Funds generated are then distributed by the Kin Club to local Food Banks and several other organizations in need of financial support. The Kin Club operates out of the playground building in Blezard Valley where it is open Monday to Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 during the summer months to provide refreshments to the minor baseball players. The club house is also open whenever weekend tournaments are held at the fields.
 
   Bob and Mary-Lou Bolger, have been involved in a variety of leadership positions with the local group for over 20 years. “Serving the community’s greatest needs” has been the motto for the Kin Club of Valley East, which has been quietly working to improve the quality of life for so many residents for so many years. 
 
   Besides being one of the most successful years every held with respect to sales of fireworks for the Victoria Day holiday, this was also one of the most disappointing for members of the Kin Club – disappointing because some unknown people, for some unknown reason chose to interfere with their efforts.

Early Morning Break-In

   Sometime between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on the morning of Monday, May 22, 2006 , someone cut the lock on the storage container and made off with a significant amount of fireworks which still remained inside. The culprits may have thought this was some kind of childish prank, but in reality their thoughtless action will result in some small children doing without extra food or clothing this year. The cost of the stolen supplies had to be paid for out of other sales and thus reduced the total amount of money available to be donated to those in need.
  
   Perhaps, however, this is the wake-up call to residents of Valley East and Capreol need to be pro-active when they see groups of young people roaming the streets in the early hours of the morning.  Perhaps they will now call the police first and let them know about the situation so that the authorities can intervene. Perhaps, too, it will be a wake up call to parents who allow their teenage and even pre-teenage sons and daughters to stay out until all hours of the night, just asking for trouble.
  
   Our young people need discipline and direction. They also need to know that there will be serious consequences for breaking the law. There is absolutely no need to “take it easy” on a 12 or 13 year old boy or girl who is caught doing something illegal. These teenagers know full well the difference between right and wrong. They also count on the fact that most adults in the court system will take pity on them and show mercy, thus teaching them that it is all right to break the law.

   When the people who broke into the container and stole the fireworks from the Kin Club of Valley East are finally caught, there should be no mercy, regardless of their age. They should be forced to sit at a food bank for weeks on end, witnessing the distressed looks on the faces of young children who have to go hungry because some young punks thought it would be funny to steal fireworks.
  
   If you are looking at purchasing fireworks for the July 1 holiday, give some thought to supporting the Kin Club of Valley East. The fireworks are less expensive than you will find most other places and all of the profits go directly back into the community.