by Gary Megaffin
OUR EVERYDAY HEROES It was over ten years ago that two charitable organizations with a history of serving the community for over 100 years combined to help put a gleam in a child’s eye. The Kitchener Knights of Columbus and the Kitchener Professional Firefighters Association, along with the co-operation of the Kitchener Fire Department, provided encouragement and support for youngsters in the Waterloo Region to celebrate and honour them as “Our Everyday Heroes”. Attending Grand River Hospital, the volunteers visited the children in the in-patient and out-patient unit as well as the CAIP unit delivering toys, T-Shirts, and Tim Hortons Gift Cards. Our Everyday Heroes project is a big hit with the children as well as with the members from the renowned associations having a long community history of raising million’s in much-needed charitable funds to support their worthy causes. Unfortunately, these visits stopped in 2020 due to the Covid 19 virus. Unable to allow visits however, Our Everyday Heroes, together in conjunction with Centre in the Square, were able to drop off and leave toys, games and electronics for the children that had to stay in the hospital during the Christmas holidays. Three years ago in 2018, some K of C members and Firemen met with Rob Sonoda from Centre in the Square (CITS) to discuss fundraising efforts to support the Grand River Hospital. At that time the hospital required a CPAP machine for their NICU which cost $22,000 dollars. Members of the Kitchener Knights of Columbus and the Kitchener Fire Department campaigned at several CITS shows and were able to raise $22,860 dollars. On December 17, 2021 the funds were presented to Grand River Hospital to Paul Royston, CEO and President of the Grand River Hospital Foundation.
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