Kin Kid, Robert Bolger (6), shown standing on the left holding a cheque for $3200, will remember March 4, 2001 for a long, long time as the day he got to appear on television to present a large donation to the Easter Seals Society during their annual telethon.

His younger brother, Maverick (4), helped him hold the cheque for this photo inside the Kin Park clubhouse located in Blezard Valley behind the Rheal Belisle Centre.

Adults standing in the photo included, from the left: Scott Bolger (Past President), Mary Lou Bolger (Life Member), Jeanine Bolger (Secretary) and Andrew Legge (New Member).

The Kin Club of Valley East has been in operation since November 1996. Before that members were known as Kinsmen and Kinettes. In an effort to improve the effectiveness of the two organizations, and in recognition of the fact that most of their activities were co-ed to begin with, the Valley East members decided to become one of the first communities in Canada to merge the two groups into one. Today, this trend is spreading throughout the country.

Each year the group raises money through bingos (they have the major bingo at Valley Bingo every Friday night), the sale of fireworks in May and for Canada Day, and through a series of other smaller ventures. Their main charity is Cystic Fibrosis, but they also help out the Easter Seals with donations in the neighbourhood of $3000 every year. This year their donation was an impressive $3200.

The Kin Club of Valley East is known locally for spearheading the Raise The Flag Day celebrations in honour of our Canadian Flag. This year the event will be held at Confederation Secondary School on May 11. They also donate a $500 bursary to each of the three Valley East high schools each spring.

One of the new projects that they are considering is a major house draw later this year. News of this undertaking will be announced when further details are worked out.

Besides the people in the photo, other members of the Kin Club of Valley East include, Darrin Bolger (President), Rick Proud’homme (Vice President), Noella Desormeaux (Treasurer), Bob Bolger (Life Member), Claude Desormeaux (Registrar), Bea Card (Bingo Chair), and Mark Rastin (Member).