The Edmonds Seniors' Society is hosting a special fundraiser this month. The society is a non-profit dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of people over the age of 55, and the group is based in the Edmonds Community Centre. The members are creating a friendship and memory tree as part of their fundraising campaign. Some of the funds will help pay for a project to preserve memories before the group moves to the new Edmonds Aquatic and Community Centre.
Anyone interested in the group is welcome to attend on Oct. 26, from 4: 30 to 6: 30 p.m. Dress is semi-formal. To RSVP, call the Edmonds Community Centre at 604-525-1617 or email lucas.bjerke@ burnaby.ca before Oct. 12.
GREEN TEAM
Kudos to the Lower Mainland Green Team, a group of volunteers who spent Rivers Day freeing up Burnaby's Guichon Creek of invasive species. A group of about 42 people pulled up invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed and policeman's helmet, that can choke out native species. In all, they removed roughly 20 cubic metres of invasive plants and cleared space for young kids to reach Guichon Creek to release tiny fish.
Surrey resident Lyda Salatian started the Lower Mainland Green Team through Meetup.com to give people a way to get together and help the environment.
"It's about connecting likeminded people, and connecting them to nature," she said. "I'm creating a community . and they are from everywhere."
Other Green Team activities include restoring shoreline habitat, maintaining trails or cleaning parks and beaches.
For more, or to join the Meetup group, go to www.meetup.com/TheLowerMainlandGreenTeam.
Keep an eye on this column for one of their upcoming events in Burnaby's Central Park.
HOMELESS DAY
To mark Oct.10 as World Homeless Day, the Burnaby Task Force on Homelessness is hosting a screening of Poor No More.
The documentary film, hosted by Mary Walsh (from This Hour Has 22 Minutes), offers solutions for Canada's working poor.
"It is recognized that poverty is the leading cause of homelessness, and we believe that this insightful documentary will provide important and useful information to promote change," said task force spokesperson Wanda Mulholland.
The screening is on Sunday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. at the Parish of St. Timothy, at 4550 Kitchener St. Local MPs Kennedy Stewart and Peter Julian are cohosting the screening.
BOOK GIVE-AWAY
For this issue, I have a signed copy of The Conclusion to the Original Peralta Stone Maps, by New Westminster resident Mark Clayton. It's a self-published account of a treasure hunt in the Arizona desert. Rumour has it there's a treasure there worth billions, but the catch is it's in a national park, where you can't remove anything.
This book came to our office by way of photographer, Larry Wright, who was out on assignment in a local pub and was approached by the author.
The first person who emails me with Treasure Map in the subject line gets the book. You have to pick it up at our office, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Added bonus: I will include a copy of Alfie Lau's story on the book, which ran in our sister paper The Record.
Send Here & Now ideas to Jennifer, jmoreau@ burnabynow.com.
