by Tanya Kostiw

Vivian Leung seems like an average 16-year-old girl. She likes to jog and cook, watches House and Grey’s Anatomy, and reads Harry Potter.

But she also loves volunteer work. Over the past two years, Leung has done everything from organize initiatives to raise money for Sichuan earthquake victims, HIV/AIDS in Africa, a well in Haiti and pencils for students in Niger. She volunteers at St. John’s Ambulance, the hospital, Rotary Club and the Oakville Youth Advisory Committee and tutors a young boy.

But, you’ll never hear her boast.

“She is not one to take credit or brag about herself or have an ego, and that’s probably why she gets so much done,” said Robin Mednick, who worked with Leung on the pencils project. “It’s not important to her who gets the credit. It’s important that the job gets done.”

Leung received one of 12 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards for her community involvement.

“I hope through this, I’ll continue to help others and continue to raise awareness about more causes,” she said.

One of her recent projects was the Pencils for Kids initiative. She met Mednick, the organization’s president at a leadership conference where Mednick described a trip to Niger and how she witnessed a class of 30 students share one pencil.

“It really stuck with me,” said Leung, a Grade 11 student, who went back to Abbey Park High School and kicked off a campaign that raised $1,500 for the cause. Her efforts inspired a local businessman to donate more than 19,000 pencils to the charity.

This contribution, according to Mednick, was due to Leung’s “extraordinary energy to enthuse an entire student body.”

“I think teamwork plays a key role in the success of anything,” said Leung.

The relief campaign for the Sichuan earthquake drew in many students from various groups.

Leung recalls opening a newspaper and seeing a photograph of a soldier carrying a number of schoolbags from a building. Each schoolbag represented a child who had died.

The photo inspired her high school’s Great Wall of Hope. Students purchased $2 paper pandas, signed their name and put them on the wall. Leung also organized a raffle draw, appealing to Asian restaurants in the community for donations. Altogether, more than $2,000 was raised.

Amanda McKenzie is Leung’s school friend and self-proclaimed “sidekick” on some of the projects.

“She’s (Leung) an incredible leader in the school and the world,” McKenzie said. “She’s done a lot of work not only for the community, but for the world.”

Mednick said Leung stands out because she follows through on ideas and is action-oriented.

“She is such a leader and a visionary.”

Mednick supported Leung’s nomination, which was initiated by her former principal Odette Bartnicki.

On the nomination form, Bartnicki wrote, “I can honestly say that Vivian is the most amazing and accomplished young woman I have ever met … there will never be a better candidate for this award.”

Leung hopes to study medicine and work for Doctors Without Borders. She would like to visit some of the countries where she has already made a difference and continue to help on a ground level.

“This is a girl who will change the world,” said Mednick. “It’s a rare combination to find someone who has no agenda other than to do good.”

“She has a heart of gold,” Mackenzie said, “and she’ll definitely use that heart to change the world.”

Two other Oakville youths were among the 117 nominees for the Ontario Junior Citizens of the Year Awards.

Laura McVey, 16, was nominated by her mother, Janice McVey. In the nomination, her mom quoted Martin Luther King Jr. to describe her daughter, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

LLaura is involved in many activities, including being a student trustee for the Halton District School Board.

“I’m focusing on bringing the student voice to the board table,” she said.

The awards program also recognized Jack Yeilding, an Oakville boy with a severe type of epilepsy. Named Canada’s Youngest Philanthropist by Maclean’s magazine, six-year-old Jack set up a lemonade stand in spring 2007 to raise money for Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. After inspiring the community, his plight to support the hospital gained national recognition and more than $70,000 has been raised.

Leung and the 11 other finalists are invited to an awards ceremony at Queen’s Park on March 3.

December 3, 2008

Thank You for Contributions to the "Wake Up to Aids Pancake Breakfast" on December 1, 2008

Thank you to each of you for your generous contributions and support. New Central's "Wake Up to Aids Pancake Breakfast" was a fantastic fund and awareness raising event. New Central has raised approx. $1300.00 from the "Wake Up To Aids Pancake Breakfast" and approx. $421 from the "Every Penny Counts" collection that was held in October at New Central. A total of over $1700.00 will be donated to Oakville's Million or More Campaign. A very special thank you to oomama www.oomama.org for all of their educational support and to our community business partners who made the "Wake Up To Aids Pancake Breakfast" possible. Denny's (125 Cross Ave.), Jubilee Fruit Market (104 Allan St.), Schiavone Diamond Team Prudential Real Estate www.oakvillefinehomes.ca, Barkley Design Print and Copy www.barkleyprint.com, Dr. Aliki Ioranidis (Dentist,145 Dunn St.), Higgins Event Rentals www.higginseventrentals.com, Cropmarks Communications and Design www.cropmarks.net/a>, and Parties N More ( 568 Kerr St.). Together we have truly made a difference! Thank you for your support.

December 1, 2008

A World AIDS Day Message from Stephen Lewis

It is said that the international financial turmoil will undermine the work of agencies like ours. Supposedly there'll be no money around for charitable purposes. My colleagues and I refuse to accept that. We work from the premise that the struggle against AIDS will not be sacrificed on the altar of financial turbulence.

So we're defying the odds. And we're asking you to do the same. In fact, we're asking you to do more. We're asking you to join us in a new fundraising campaign called "TURNING THE TIDE".

It's our conviction that so much has been accomplished on the ground in Africa, for grandmothers and orphans and women in particular, that if we can fund every worthy proposal, we can turn the tide of the AIDS pandemic at the grassroots.

People will say that the timing is all wrong. We say, to the devil with the timing. We're on the cusp of bringing hope to thousands upon thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS. Please join us.

Stephen Lewis

September 29, 2008

Million or More Oakville set to raise $72,000 through METRES OR MORE Challenge. 36 toonies = 1 metre of Red Ribbon

Oakville, ON - Million or More Oakville ($MOMO) is challenging Oakville residents to save their toonies with a campaign goal to raise $72,000 in support of its two-year goal to raise $1million for the Stephen Lewis Foundation and its work to ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The METRES OR MORE Challenge was officially launched at Oakville Place on Monday September 29th, with the distribution of metre strips of red ribbon. Each metre of ribbon is imprinted with the outline of 36 toonies which when filled total $72. Among the many present for the launch, were Sally Armstrong, Honorary Chair of $MOMO, local sports personality, Dan Ferrone, and Ann Mulvale, $MOMO Co-Chair.

The campaign will culminate at Oakville Pace on October 25, 2008 with the display of all the red ribbons used to track donations and submitted by school children, families, businesses and places of worship in Oakville. Until October 25th Oakville residents can obtain one or more metres of red ribbon bearing the $MOMO logo at Oakville Place. Donations towards the METRES OR MORE Challenge may be dropped off at Oakville Place (Courtesy Desk) on Saturday October 25th and will be accepted and appreciated, with or without the $MOMO ribbon. Although toonies will be accepted, $MOMO is encouraging donors to consider a cheque payable to the Stephen Lewis Foundation in place of the coins, to allow for the donation to flow quickly to the Foundation.

Already, the excitement is growing over the goal to collect enough metres of ribbon, each representing $72 to span at least one kilometre. This means at least $72,000 towards Oakville’s goal of $1 Million to help support efforts in winning the battle against HIV/AIDS in Africa. And, the opportunity is there to go way beyond a kilometre! The word is out and already, challenges are being issued among high school and elementary schools, service clubs, members of the Faith Community, sports organizations, retailers, and more. Many of these challenges were stated for the record at Monday’s kick-off.

“$MOMO is pleased to have such a supportive partner in Oakville Place for the METRES OR MORE initiative” said Ann Mulvale, $MOMO Co-Chair. On Saturday October 25th a full day of activities is planned for Oakville Place where everyone will be able to see the impact of this initiative as coloured balloons (each colour representing a different community sector, i.e.: education, business, faith and sports communities, etc.), will be raised to reflect the contributions towards the kilometre or more goal.

Sally Armstrong, Honourary Chair of $MOMO encouraged everyone to embrace the opportunity to join together for such an important cause, saying “ribbon campaigns have a way of wrapping communities together and packing up a gift of grace. I challenge the residents of Oakville to tie their toonies the Metres or More Challenge."

Ann Mulvale stressed, 'that if we each give just a little, the end result is life sustaining. As we move into the fall season of Thanksgiving lets show our thankfulness for all that we have by using the meter of red ribbon tracking the toonies saved, to show our concern for the people of Africa." She added, “if families forego a dinner in a local fast food restaurant followed by a movie, they can likely fill their metre. Over home made burgers or pizza they can discuss what it would be like to live in the grip of AIDS in Africa where a generation is almost wiped out. We can make a difference, one person or family at a time.” Peter Knox of $MOMO and coordinator of this event added “a toonie is a cup of coffee in Oakville, yet it represents hope to an Africans living with AIDS, and a symbol that others care enough to contribute”. "My passion is shared by my family as we hear and feel the drum beat of the African people; it compels us to help.”

$MILION OR MORE OAKVILLE is a fundraising initiative to raise $1 Million + within the Oakville Community to help support the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) in its efforts to ease the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa and allow those affected to build hope for the future. It is the result of many sectors within the community wanting to reach out via the Stephen Lewis Foundation to show concern for the people of Africa afflicted with HIV/AIDS, an illness that has resulted in over 3,000,000 orphans. The campaign is intended to be an extension of Oakville’s community-based fundraising campaigns: as a short-term addition to Oakville’s giving priorities. It is not an effort to re-direct citizens’ support for the many worthwhile and important priorities here at home. $MILLION OR MORE OAKVILLE provides an opportunity for Oakville to support a critical international cause, to build upon the inspirational leadership which Oakville is known for, and to contribute in a significant way to the 2008 and 2009 WORLD AIDS DAY global campaigns.

Please see the attached for comments from various Oakville citizens representing business, sports education, faith communities, the oomamas, and other groups, in support of the METRES OR MORE Challenge.

For more information contact:

Peter Knox

j.p.knox@sympatico.ca

905 849 6890

Students hand out $Million or More lesson

Oakville Beaver article December 1, 2007(PDF)

On Thursday high school students from Iroquois Ridge High School visited their Grade 8 peers at Joshua Creek Public School to raise awareness about World AIDS Day — today, Saturday, Dec. 1.

Nicole Markwick, Stephen Soock, both Grade 12 students, and Kyle Steward, who is in Grade 11, engaged the Grade 8s in an HIV transmission activity.
It involved the students mixing fluids in paper cups to demonstrate how many people can be infected with HIV if fluids are exchanged with the carrier of the virus or those who have already contracted the virus from that one carrier.
A second activity involved the students responding to statements.
They had the opportunity to strongly agree with or strongly disagree with those statements.

Students were invited to share their previously acquired knowledge while learning about HIV prevalence rates, the vulnerability of women to become infected, what the acronyms HIV and AIDS stand for, the various ways how HIV is spread, and whether or not there is a cure for the virus.
Students also participated in a photo analysis, which focused on individuals somehow involved in the pandemic whether they are educators, orphans or carriers.

They were encouraged to view them as embodying the universal traits for hope, dignity, compassion, belonging and empowerment.
Finally, several students were invited to participate in a brief role play to emphasize the overwhelming numbers of orphans, women and grandmothers who are impacted by the pandemic and the causes as to why these rates are so high.

The visit to Joshua Creek Public School by the Iroquois Ridge students is one of the first steps in Oakville's $Million or More campaign whose goal it is to raise $1 million for the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF), which aims to ease the pain of those suffering from HIV and AIDS.
The pandemic has ravaged Africa and left millions of children orphaned. In many instances, the children’s grandmothers have been left to not only bury their own children, but then care for and provide for their grandchildren. Between World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) 2007 and Dec. 1, 2009, the $Million or More Oakville campaign aims to raise a million or more.

Its honourary chair is journalist Sally Armstrong and its co-chair is former mayor Ann Mulvale.

It is bridging numerous groups and fundraising activities for the same cause through Oakville and encouraging many more to get involved.

The Iroquois Ridge students are involved as last spring, Iroquois Ridge High School, and the students involved Thursday, held an AIDS awareness conference that raised nearly $13,000 for AIDS relief and was highlighted by a visit from Stephen Lewis, the former United Nations’ Secretary- General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from June 2001 until the end of 2006 and author of The Race Against Time.

Also last Thursday, shopping at Oakville’s Ten Thousand Villages saw a portion of sales directed to the SLF through the local group oomama, a grandmothers for grandmothers group that fundraises for the SLF. Last spring, oomama also hosted Lewis at Appleby College and raised $100,000.

Shopping at Whole Foods Market on Wednesday, Dec. 12 will also see a portion of sales directed to the SLF. Whole Foods is at 301 Cornwall Rd., Mulvale will be a celebrity bagger at the event. For more information on the $Million or More campaign, or to find out how to help visit www.millionormoreslf.ca

Group aims for $Million or More for African AIDS victims

By Angela Blackburn

Nov 16, 2007

Oakville residents are feeling the drum beat of Africa in the beating of their own hearts.
And if they're not, they're about to.

Numerous local groups that have already taken up the cause of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, and achieved notable fundraising success, are coming together to form $Million or More.

With noted journalist Sally Armstrong as its honourary chair and former Oakville mayor Ann Mulvale its co-chair, $Million or More officially launched its website Tuesday.

That same evening, it gathered a roomful of local residents -- well-known names in the community -- at Iroquois Ridge High School, a school with a history of advocacy, to brainstorm about raising awareness and funds.

The official campaign launch is expected to be on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.
That's when $Million or More is expected to announce that it aims to secure $1 million, or more, in Oakville between World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) 2007 and Dec. 1, 2009.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has rendered more than 13 million children in Africa orphans.
A great majority of them are now being raised by their grandmothers -- an unexpected twist for the grandmothers.

Instead of enjoying their twilight years, they are either caring for their AIDS-infected children or grieving their loss, and struggling to raise grandchildren -- often with no means of support, no drugs, and in an environment where they can be ostracized to the point of their home being burned because of their proximity to HIV/AIDS.

It's also estimated the number of orphans could rise to 20 million in just a short time. Africa has literally become a dying continent where grandmothers are being left to deal with it.
The so-called "cause" of the pandemic has been billed as gender inequity for women, who need a voice to refuse unwanted sex and an economic means to support their families.
Grassroots programs assist women, children, caregivers, the grannies and those living with HIV/AIDS and lobbying for legislative change.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) funds such assistance programs in 14 countries on the African continent.

The popular and respected Lewis was the United Nations' Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from June 2001 until the end of 2006 and authored The Race Against Time.

He's chair of the SLF and in March 2006, the foundation launched the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign.

All funds raised by Oakville's $Million or More will be sent directly to the SLF.
Lewis was in Oakville last spring and put in riveting appearances at Iroquois Ridge High School and at an event held by the local group oomama, local grandmothers supporting grandmothers in Africa, at Appleby College.

The Iroquois Ridge conference raised just under $13,000 for the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

The oomama event raised more than $100,000.

At Tuesday's meeting, Lewis' daughter, Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, executive director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, was on hand to encourage the Oakville effort, which mirrors a similar model in York Region.

"An overwhelming problem is what a pandemic is," said Mulvale, noting $Million or More and its supporters are choosing to heed a call many others have chosen to ignore.

After watching a video by Lewis and hearing from Mulvale, Tuesday's crowd heard from numerous speakers including a letter from Armstrong, Iroquois Ridge students Stephen Soock and Nicole Markwick, and Sherry Ardell and Donna Hall-Clark of oomama.

After that, Landsberg-Lewis took the podium and the most touching moments of her presentation came when she read letters from people involved in various assistance projects in Africa.

There was one asking for toilet facilities, which she said her family now affectionately call the Stephen Lewis latrine. Another highlighted the need to bury three children. Yet another recounted how children share shoes in order to attend school.

On the establishment of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign, Landsberg-Lewis said, "We had no idea what was going to happen."

There are now more than 150 grandmothers groups in Canada and Oakville's own oomama (which takes its name from a South African chant honouring women) has raised more than $120,000.

The grandmothers campaign has raised more than $2 million in 14 months.

"It just shows what grandmothers can do if they put their mind to it," said Landsberg-Lewis.

"Women are the backbone of the response to the AIDS pandemic," said Landsberg-Lewis.

In a short brainstorming session that followed, those attending the meeting contributed many ideas, both on how to raise awareness and fundraise.

Sharing stories, a day in the life of various people in Oakville versus their counterparts in Africa, and pen pal arrangements were among the ideas on how to generate awareness.

Potential fundraising ideas ran the gamut from t-shirt or used media sales, to a grandfathers for grandmothers group, shows and sales of African artwork, dinners featuring African cuisine, the sale of a compilation CD from well-known local artists, concerts and more.

Mulvale drew attention to Oakville Beaver artistic director Steve Nease's award-winning editorial cartoon in which a child asks his African mother if she's praying for help, and she responds, No, a tsunami.

The former mayor noted the funds raised to meet the needs of tsunami victims are exactly the kind of global response for which the people in Africa have been quietly waiting -- and waiting.

Ardell noted she was struck by the overwhelming strength of African grandmothers who met with their Canadian counterparts here in Toronto on the eve of the World AIDS conference in 2006 and their affirmation that they "need just a little help."

As Tuesday's meeting closed, Mulvale urged those attending to share their experience with others.

Representatives from oomama encouraged residents to make use of letters and postcards they provided to lobby the Canadian government to meet promises to boost international funding and to speed the export of life-saving generic drugs.

Shopping at Oakville's Ten Thousand Villages on Thursday, Nov. 29 or Whole Foods on Wednesday, Dec. 12 will also see a portion of sales directed to oomama.

For more information visit www.oomama.org or www.stephenlewisfoundation.org.