Written By Jan Sims
MIDDLESEX CENTRE - There’s a new way to have your family name, business, or memorial recognized in Middlesex Centre. The Ilderton Optimist Club has launched a new fundraising initiative that enables people to have engraved paving stones placed at Heritage Park.
The paving stones are 8”x 8” and they’re affixed to the sidewalk in Heritage Park in Ilderton between the skate park and the barn-like building. “They are normally engraved with family names, business names or memorials. They are fixed in the sidewalk so engraving must be done onsite,” says Rick Horton with the Optimist Club of Ilderton.
“If those interested send an email to optimists.ilderton@gmail.com requesting an order form, I will send them a PDF order form they can fill out on their computer. Then, they can attach it to an email to the club email above,” says Horton. “We are asking for a donation of $125.00 per request/stone. Engraving will happen some time during the summer once we have enough requests to make a batch work order,” adds Horton.
Money raised from the sale will help finance the Club’s two major events: Santa’s Breakfast and the Easter Egg Hunt. “We also have smaller events for kids such as our Bike Safety Rodeo in June and may help us bring back other events we have had to put on hold in recent years due to low club membership such as our 3 on 3 Road Hockey Tournament,” says Horton.
The Optimist Club of Ilderton hopes the initiative will generate interest especially among new residents to the area. Horton says the project has the full support of the municipality. “It is also our way of helping to maintain the high level of community spirit we enjoy in Ilderton.”
