Sunday December 12, 2010

SOUTH DELTA LEADER spirit of giving DEcEmbER 12 2010 › 1SOUTH DELTA LEADER DECEMBER 12 2010 › 1

Karma classes for hospice

Open Space Yoga is once again hosting can-dlelight yoga classes to raise money for the Delta Hospice Society and the South Delta Food Bank.

Take one and a half hour slow fl ow yoga or hatha fl ow yoga by candlelight at the Ladner based studio (4880 Delta St.) by donation Dec. 20, 21, 22 or 23 at 6:30 p.m.

Donate with cash or a cheque made out to the Delta Hospice Society or South Delta Food Bank. Door prizes from Open Space Yoga friends and suppliers will also be available.

Owner Michael Rudd's candlelight yoga classes have fi lled up quickly in the past, so he encour-ages people to register soon. Call the studio at 778-858-9642 or visit www.openspaceyoga.com.

Community kitchen help

The Ladner Community Kitchen will be hosting its second annual holiday dinner Dec. 13 at Ladner Christian Fellowship at 5545 Ladner Trunk Road (next to the Hong Kong Inn). Dinner starts at 5 p.m.

The idea originated with local culinary instructor Jini Aroon who had no-ticed a need in the community.

The kitchen is affi liated with the South Delta Food Bank, and provides refreshments (soup, sandwiches, muffi ns) to about 100 families who use the food bank each week.

Aroon said the community has been extremely generous with donations for the kitchen, thanking all those who provided food donations and gave their time each week to prepare and serve food.

Non perishable items can be dropped off at the South Delta Food Bank. If you want to donate perishables call 604-940-9355 or email [email protected].

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eSpirit of GivingDECEMBER 12, 2010 ◗ GIFT OF SPORT ◗ COMMUNITY CARE ◗ SPIRITUAL MOMENT

For the fourth year running, Tsawwassen's Chris Read is inviting the public to view his Christmas Express train display. Jim Kinnear photo

by Philip Raphael

Christmas Express supports local charity

O ne of the sure signs of the holiday season in

South Delta got rolling earlier in December as Tsawwassen’s Chris Read fl ipped a switch and sent his Christmas Express trains down their tracks.

It’s the fourth year running for the display that occupies a cov-ered area at the side of Read’s home at 5850 16th Ave.

It all started with just one, 100-foot loop of track. This year the G-scale trains roll over close to 500 feet, looping in and around a host of tiny, festively lit build-ings. Some them have their own special sound effects, such as the tiny, western styled saloon, complete with swinging doors and a piano player belting out the tunes.

To get a look at the train set

online there is a web cam avail-able at gvgrc.ca/christmas_ex-press_lv1.html.

Does he have a favourite part? “Oh, there’s a lot of pieces in

here,” Read says, adding one of his favourites is a replica of the train used in the movie Polar Express. “But really, the whole thing is my favourite. I’m just a big kid at heart. What can I say?”

Plus, there’s always something new added each year.

“There’s tremendous detail. You probably won’t see it all,” says Read, adding wife Tracey is in charge of the decorating.

“But the changes this year, it’s mostly electronics, stuff that’s behind the scenes.”

Continued on p. 4

Fresh wreaths support studio

If you are purchasing festive greenery this holiday season, why not support a local highland dance studio?

The Clarion Highland Dance Studio is selling fresh wreaths and swag made from fresh, aro-matic materials. Wreaths are trimmed with pine cones and holly, and swags with fi r, cedar, juniper, pine cones and berries. Both come crowned with a plaid bow for that special highland fl air.

Wreaths are $25 and swags $20 (or two swags for $36). Proceeds go to costumes, shoes and dance props for the studio. To place an order, con-tact Claire Forster at 604-943-3363.

Call our catering department for your personal consultation or visit our website at www.deltainn.com

Reward your staff with a sumptuous holiday treat: The Mistletoe Luncheon on December 14th, 2010 from 11:00am - 3:00pm, $20.95 per person.

For a truly memorable Christmas tradition, enjoy our Christmas Dinner Buffet on December 25th from 3:00pm - 6:30pm. Adults: $39.95, Kids 12 and under: $17.95

Please call 604.946.4404 for reservations.

6005 Highway17 at Highway 99

Delta, BC V4K 5B8

P: 604 946 4404F: 604 946 5916

Perfect PartyThe Perfect Place For Your

2 ‹ december 12 2010 SOUTH deLTA LeAder spirit of giving

WANT TO KNOW WHEN WE ARE READY IN YOUR AREA?

Call 604.629.4389 or email [email protected]

and leave us your name, address,phone number and email address.

SHAW IS COMING TO DELTA STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS ON HOW YOU CAN BECOME A PART OF OUR SHAW FAMILY

24/7/365SERVICE

SOUTH DELTA LEADER spirit of giving DEcEmbER 12 2010 › 3SOUTH DELTA LEADER SPIRIT OF GIVING DECEMBER 12 2010 › 3

Copyright and property rights subsist in all display advertising and other material appearing in the South Delta Leader. If, in the Publisher's opinion, an error is made that materially affects the value of the ad to the advertiser, a corrected advertisement will be inserted upon demand without further charge. Make good insertions are not granted on minor errors which do not lessen the value of the advertisement. Notice of error is required before second insertion. Opinions expressed in columns and letters to the Editor are not necessarily shared by the Publisher. The South Delta Leader is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org.

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2010 WINNER

Publisher Chrissie Bowker [email protected]

Editor Philip Raphael [email protected] Kristine Salzmann

Advertising Jane IlottCollette Semeniuk Creative Sarah Kelloway

Distribution Geeta SchalligLynley Shepherd

The gift of sport

T he Delta Gymnastics So-ciety is asking the public

to help them fi ll their new gym for kids.

Completion of the new Delta Sport Development Centre in Ladner is nearing—it's expected to open in the spring—and the Kids 1st Campaign is appealing the community to help fi ll the gym space at the facility, the new home of Delta Gymnastics Society.

So far the campaign has raised suffi cient funds to outfi t the offi ces and functional ele-ments of the facility, such as the security system, the phones, the administrative spaces and change rooms.

The next step is to outfi t the gym with the unique equip-ment that makes their programs possible. And with double the space there is a need to double the equipment.

So why give to sport this sea-son?

“We believe sport is a great

activity for children and want-ed to help provide kids in our community with a great op-portunity”, said donor Geoff Chamberlain, who attended the recent visit to the construction site to update the campaign’s thermometer. With another $500,000 to raise for equip-ment and the deadline to order by the end of January, there is a sense of urgency to receive pledges soon.

Gifts of any amount make a phenomenal difference.

“While a tumble track for youngsters costs $6,500, a gift of $100 brings us that much closer,” said Doug Husband, the Kids 1st campaign chair. “All gifts over $20 are eligible for a charitable tax receipt. You can make your gift in this tax year, apply it towards next year or, in the case of larger gifts, you can spread it out over time.”

While the walls for the new fa-cility adjacent to the Ladner Lei-sure Centre are going up, Delta

Gymnastics is actively working on plans to expand the activity programs. Bookings have start-ed for school fi eld trips for the spring in the new facility.

Plans for a foundational acad-emy for athletes from all sports are underway, and parents have called in anticipation of more class options for their toddlers, preschoolers, and youngsters with special needs.

Said donors Deirdre and Doug Lewis, “Delta Gymnastics offers an environment where our chil-dren have fun, make friends, develop new skills, and learn to set goals and work towards them. The coaches and staff set a positive tone for the kids and older gymnasts inspire and en-courage the younger ones. The life-long skills our children are acquiring will serve them well in whatever they choose to do.”

For information on how to donate, call 604-943-0460, email [email protected].

Equipment needed to make gymnastics programs possible

Checking out how much is left on the fundraising goal for the new Delta Sport Development Centre is (left to right) Mark Friesen, executive director of the Delta Gymnastics Society, donor Geoff Chamberlain, Delta Gymnastics club coordinator Carlene Lewall, and a group of youngsters enrolled in gymnastics local programs. Of that, $500,000 is needed for new equipment to fill the gym. Contributed photo

5 gracious with gratuities Ladner hair stylist Wade Gibson donates his tips to the Delta Hospice Society during the holiday season.

6 community care The Delta Hospice Society's Celebration of Life tree is one way to remember a loved one as Christmas nears.

7 spiritual mo-ment There's more to Christmas than consumerism, says Pastor Paul Johnson.

You never know when someone will need you to save their life.

“ We do our best to ensure a patient’s safety. The best reward I get to see is patients and their families happy after a successful surgery.”

Dr. Dean Jones, Anesthesiologist, Delta Hospital

Please donate to Delta Hospital.604 940 9695deltahospital.com

Note: Last call for drop off is 30 minutes before closing and 1 hour on Christmas EveThe Business Improvement Association (BIA) of Tsawwassen implements this community service to assist Tsawwassen commercial businesses during the busy Christmas season. Although the service is free, we accept donations of cash, food or toys which are all donated to local charities.

Free Gift Wrapping

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December 12, December 16 to 23 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.December 24 from 11:00 to 3:00 p.m.Location: Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall

Next to Santa!

15th Annual

Shop Tsawwassen... it’s your town!


The train engines and rolling stock also needed a little fresh-ening up.

“They put on approximately 16 to 18 km per night. Those are real kilometres, so after four years some had to be rebuilt this year,” Read said. “It’s just wear.”

What hasn’t changed over the years is the charitable commit-ment the display is dedicated with.

While visiting Read’s home is free, he also accepts dona-tions for the Food on the Corner group which delivers hot soups and sandwiches each Saturday to the needy and homeless on the Downtown East side of Van-couver.

“They do a super job,” Read says.

Food on the Corner president Rick Lewall says the money raised from Read’s trains is a vital part that helps keep the group running.

“The money raised from last year’s train display, about $3,200, went towards refurbish-ing the truck we use to take the food downtown,” Lewall says. “It’s quite an old vehicle and needed some work. And the bal-

ance was used to help with the day-to-day running of the pro-gram which has been delivering food every Saturday for the past 29 years.”

Read said he was drawn to Food on the Corner because of the groundswell of support it receives from local volunteers who make the food, and busi-nesses who contribute much of the supplies.

Last year, 3,060 visited Read’s display which is open for view-

ing from dusk until 10 p.m. from now until Dec. 27.

Expectations this season are that upwards of 4,000 to 5,000 will take in the sights, sounds and free hot chocolate and can-dy canes Read hands out, even on Christmas Day.

“Yes, were open on Dec. 25,” Read says smiling. “We get people coming Christmas Day. They have their dinner and they come down. We’ve become a bit of a tradition.”

Last year, around 3,000 visited the Christmas Express display and donated close to $3,200 to the Food on the Corner charity which has been feeding the homeless on the streets of Downtown Vancouver for the past 29 years. Jim Kinnear photo

Christmas Express has become a bit of a traditionContinued from p. 1

4 ‹ SUNDAY DECEMBER 12 2010 SOUTH DELTA LEADER

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• SMOKE ALARMS Give your family and friends a gift that saves lives...a smoke alarm. Having one or more working smoke alarms in your home doubles your chance of surviving a fi re. Smoke alarms — save lives!

• CANDLE CARE Candles are a traditional and beautiful part of the holiday season. Never leave lit candles unattended. Ensure that candles are out of reach of children.

• CHRISTMAS TREES SAFETY If purchasing a live-cut tree, test it for freshness by tapping the base of the tree

on the ground. If needles fall or can be pulled off easily the tree is too dry. At home,

fi nd a cool spot for your tree, away from heater vents and the fi replace.

Keep your tree as fresh as possible by watering it often. Enjoy a fi re safe holiday season!

• KITCHEN FIRE SAFETY Practice fi re safety in the kitchen this

holiday season. Never leave cooking food unattended and

if you are faced with a grease fi re, remember - put a lid on it and turn

the heat source off!

• EVACUATION PLAN Be sure that you and your family have an evacuation plan in place in the event of a fi re. Remember, if there is a fi re your fi rst priority needs to be to get out of the house; once everyone is safely outside, then call 911.

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Ladner hair stylist diverts tips to help support hospice

Gracious gratuities L adner hair styl-

ist Wade Gibson does not usually accept tips.

He hopes that by do-ing so, customers will pamper themselves a little more to boost how they feel about the way they look, such as by going for a bit more colour or coming in more often for a trim.

But for the months of November and Decem-ber he lets clients dig a little deeper into their wallets for gratuities he donates to the Delta Hospice Society.

“This is the time of year that everybody thinks about giving back, so it is a perfect opportunity to put a sign on my mirror to ask for donations,” says Gibson, who works at Evolutions Hair Salon in Ladner. “In the past years my clients have been incredibly sup-portive of my fundrais-ing efforts. Last year people even stopped me outside of the salon to hand me money.”

Gibson has volun-teered at the Delta Hos-pice Society in the past.

After going through their training program, he volunteered to sit vigils with hospice cli-ents.

“I got a real under-standing of what an incredible organization they are, how well run it is with so few staff, yet so many volun-teers,” he says.

Gibson says many of his clients have used the counseling servic-es at the Harold and Veronica Savage Sup-portive Care Centre, and some have visited friends or family in the Irene Thomas Hospice Building.

“I hear nothing but amazing things about the work that they are doing.”

He adds that now that the new supportive care centre and hospice residence buildings are complete, many people don’t realize the soci-ety still needs to raise about $850,000 to cov-er its capital costs.

Gibson has raised more than $5,300 for the hospice through his

tips, and also donated to McKee House’s Christmas lunch for se-niors.

‘Wade is such a won-derful example of how one person can make a difference," said says hospice executive di-rector Nancy Macey. "We are so grateful to him for his generosity and willingness to con-tinue raising awareness for Delta Hospice."

To learn more about the Delta Hospice So-ciety, visit www.delta-hospice.org. To reach Evolutions Hair Salon, call 604-946-2887.

—Kristine Salzmann

Wade GibsonContributed photo

The new hospice residence. Tyler Garnham file photo

in the

help build a

heart ofthe community

Child Development Centre

Without easy to access to services, children with special needs are at risk of being left behind.

You can help. Support the Building for Children Together campaign this season with a donation or a 20/20 pledge. Your donation will help build a new centre in the heart of Ladner and help children with special needs get the critical services they need.

To donate or for information visit www.reachdevelopment.org or call 604-946-6622 ext.337

Please give today. Because every child should have the opportunity to reach their potential.

Need More? 604-948-3640

[email protected] [email protected]

[email protected]

Get breaking news here first

Become a fan of The South Delta Leader @southdeltaleader.com

online all the time! m.southdeltaleader.com

newsviewsand opinionsmobilefind it all here!www.southdeltaleader.com

Help usFill the gym for the kids so...

• they can be active for life• they learn the foundation of a healthy lifestyle• they know the basics of physical movement• they pursue their physical limits• they understand that sport is a lifestyle

Uneven Bars • Crash mats • Balance Beam • Pommel Horse Parallel Bars • High Bar • Preschool Equipment• Vault Table

To donate to the Kids 1st Campaign, please call or email

604.943.0460 [email protected] or visit www.deltagymnastics.com

Delta Sport Development Centre future home of Delta Gymnastics

Donations of $20 or more will receive a tax receipt.


T he holidays are upon us and

one common theme that prevails, whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or another special day, is the spirit of giving and receiving.

At the Hospice Cot-tage Thrift Store, the Harold & Veronica Sav-age Centre for Support-ive Care and the Irene Thomas Hospice, we feel the spirit of giving and receiving all year long.

Each day we see the generosity of donors, store customers and many volunteers, who

each give in their own way to Delta Hospice, which in turn helps to make a difference in the lives of families, friends and neigh-bours.

At this time of year, Delta Hospice invites people to make a char-itable donation to the society which is tax deductable and helps to bring hope and comfort to those deal-ing with a life limiting illness, their families and friends.

Donations are often made in memory of a loved one or in honour of someone for a gift for Christmas, a birth-day, an anniversary or another special occa-sion.

Our Celebration of Life Tree is another opportunity to recog-nize and acknowledge the love and memo-ries that are shared at Christmas.

Trees are set up in the new Harold & Ve-ronica Savage Centre

for Supportive Care in Ladner (4631 Clarence Taylor Crescent) and the community is in-vited to write a name on a dove and hang it on one of the trees.

Over the holiday season, the trees fi ll up with hundreds of doves.

Each one holds a story of a life that was lived. Stories are shared between volun-teers and families and information on grief and loss is available.

Donations are ap-

preciated but not ex-pected. One hundred per cent of donations go towards care and comfort of our friends and neighbours who we support.

We so often hear it is in giving that people receive the greatest joy. We wish that everyone fi nds their reason for giving and where it gives them the great-est joy.

Nancy Macey is the executive director of the Delta Hospice So-ciety.

6 ‹ DECEMBER 12 2010 SOUTH DELTA LEADER SPIRIT OF GIVING

Hope andcomfort

Every dove placed on the Celebration of Life tree is in memory of a loved one. Contributed photo

NancyMacey

Com

munity care

Make a difference in the lives of families through the Delta Hospice Society

1140 56th Street Tsawwassen, B.C.

604.943.0141

Help us support DeltassistHome Hardware Gift Cards

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Christmas costsT his is an expensive time

of year. Our fi nances are stretched to the limit. Many of us dream of a “cash and carry” Christmas but it seems that we don’t always achieve our goal.

Thus, we fi nd our-s e l v e s

paying for Christmas all year long!

Even Ca-nadians en-joy “Black Friday” the unof f i c ia l Amer i c an beginning

of the spending frenzy. A huge amount of money is spent not only to purchase Christmas pres-ents for our families and friends but also on decorations, food, and other holiday essentials. Come January, we’ve realized what we’ve done, and that’s when the payments begin!

Interestingly enough, the cen-tral truth and foundation of why we celebrate Christmas relates to a payment. It’s not the kind of payment that we make to pay off a credit card balance or put gas in our car to make the trip back home from grandma’s

house. It’s not the kind of pay-ment that creditors or retailers would understand. The central theme of Christmas revolves around a spiritual payment.

Jesus came to make payment for our sin. The Bible teaches that all of us have sinned and made mistakes, and that we are held accountable by a just and holy God. Romans 3:23 states: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Then, the Apostle Paul goes on to write, “The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). So, just as in the legal system, someone had to pay for the crime. There is no justice unless a penalty is paid.

The wonderful truth that is foundational to the meaning of Christmas is that Jesus came to make that payment. In an amazing transfer of guilt, “Je-sus became sin for us” (2 Cor-inthians 5:21). He never became a “sinner” for He was blame-less, but He was counted guilty before the courts of heaven. Meanwhile, His righteousness was transferred to all those who would believe in him. But the cost of this payment was high. That’s why He died on a cross. He submitted himself to the

most brutal of all methods of execution—Roman crucifi xion. He gave His life. That was the currency used to pay for our freedom.

Come January, wouldn’t we all wish that our favorite credit card company would phone and inform us that all of our holiday debt had been paid by someone else. We might ask, “Who would do such a thing?” We would be shocked. But that’s exactly what happened in a spiritual realm. Jesus paid our bill.

It’s important for us to remem-ber that Jesus didn’t remain a baby. He grew to be an infl u-ential Jewish rabbi. He rightly claimed to be the son of God. Then, at the appointed time, He gave His life so that men could live. So, maybe the next time you’re standing in line buying something that relates to this holiday season you’ll remember another payment; the payment that makes all of this worth-while. Someone bought you and loved you enough to pay the ul-timate price. You’re not alone. A savior is waiting to have rela-tionship with you. That’s what Christmas is all about.

Paul Johnson is the lead pastor at South Delta Baptist Church

The holiday season is more than racking up retail debt

Calo

njoFuAb

PaulJohnson

Spiritual mom

ent

Ladner 4802 Delta Street • 604.940.8529Tsawwassen 1246 56th Street • 604.943.1499

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Sunday December 12, 2010