
June 9, 2017 · 0 Comments
By Jasen Obermeyer
Dufferin County Cultural Resource Circle (DCCRC) will be hosting a fundraising gala at the Alder Street Recreation Centre to not only celebrate their fourth annual Aboriginal Day, but also raise funds for programs for Aboriginal youths.
National Aboriginal Day is celebrated every year on June 21, since being proclaimed in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada Romeo LeBlanc. It is a day of recognizing and celebrating the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada.
DCCRC will be hosting a gala dinner fundraiser next Friday, June 16, starting at 4:00 p.m., with tickets available for $85. There will also be a traditional First Nations dinner, consisting of buffalo and elk. The next Saturday, June 17, will be a free day event of celebrating Aboriginal Day, again at Alder Street, in the soccer fields. DCCRC are requesting donations of non-perishable food items for Orangeville Food Bank.
There will be various authentic, traditional crafts and artisans, including Susan Aglukark, comedian Gerry “Big Bear” Barrett, Lowell Souce, and Toronto Council Fire’s All Nations Juniors drum and dance group providing traditional songs along with educations to regalia.
Debbie Sipkema, DCCRC’s Chair/Founder, says the money raised at the gala dinner is for funding programs for Aboriginal youth. “We have a high number of indigenous youth that are coming from Northern reserves and I’ve got foster parents calling us all the time about programming and youth initiatives.”
She says they’re looking to get programs up in the fall, and they recently received a statistic from Westside Secondary School, which found 12 per cent of the students are registered First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. “These programs, we just want to have that support system in for everyone.”
For tickets, and additional information on the gala dinner and Aboriginal Day, visit DCCRC’s Face book page, their website at dufferincountyculturalresourcecircle.org, or call 519-216-8174.