SCOTT ALAN REDMOND MEMORIAL PARK

The Scott Alan Redmond Memorial Park was built and unvieled on Saturday Ocotber 30th, 2010! There was a bit of a cold, wind, and rain that day and in the end it was even snowing but the true Island spirit shone through that day as there was a task to be done and we did it in fine fashion! Cheryl Good brought the crowd to tears as she recounted Scott's Island atitude...work hard...play harder and live every moment to the fullest! Scott was a true role model to everyone young and old and showed us to live each day as it comes. Scott's family was on hand and his mother Linda, and father Walter pulled the ribbon to show our beautiful sign. Scott's brother Erin said some very kind words with a crack in his voice. Looking around at all the tears it was no wonder why we had chosen to honor Scott and in turn his family on the glorious occasion! I hope everyone has the chance to enjoy the new playground in Fort Augustus which will bridge generations for years to come! A meeting place, a social place for people of all ages and walks of life!

OUR PLAYGROUND IS BUILT!

And we thought if we build it they will come...and come they did...we had over 100 volunteers on Saturday to help us put together a gorgeous playground. The day was windy, cold and rainy but that did not dampen the spirit of Fort Augustus! We came, we raked, we built, we ate, then we built again..............and then we played! It was a wonderful day to be part of such a strong community! The next day was Halloween and I arranged a Halloween Party for all the kids in Fort Augustus! We had about 50 show up and they all got to play! It was so wonderful to see! Reports of people at the playground at othertimes has been such a joy to hear as well! This is something we want to see get used...we want to have used as a gathering place to get to build a strong community again! And in my eyes it already has! Thank you all for all your hard work!

AMANDA'S WALK TO K-ROCK

Amanda's walk to K-Rock was a huge success! She walked the 23.6 kms in less than 3.5 hours and raised over $1500.00!!!! That was amazing!!!!! She had some people walk with her along the way! She would like to thank Albert Shepard, Isabel Quinn, Brenda VanGaal, Katie and Kenzie Whalen, all the committee and the folks at K-Rock for being so supportive! She met her goal of getting there in less than 3.5 hours...she met her goal of raising more than $1000.00 and she got some recognition for the playgrounds build day too! She has done interviews with the Gaurdian, K-Rock and CBC to raise awareness for the build and why it is so important! Why would she do it..because it is so important to have a playground for the children, it is so important to have physical activity in our lives, young and old! Studies show obesity is on the rise and this is one way our community can come together, be active and try to change some of those stats to be happier and healthier!

Bottle Drive!

Thank you to everyone who gave bottles to the bottle drive! Your support means everything to the community and to the playground that will be going up on October 30th! We raised in access of $400.00! Thank you to all the kids who helped out and all the drivers who took the kids around and collected the bottles! WAY TO GO!

WORKERS FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

We are looking for 6-8 able bodied people to help set up equipment on Thursday and Friday as well as 1 welder for these 2 days. We need people from 8 am until 5 pm these 2 days...if you can help or know someone who can please call Barb 569-3577, or Cheryl 676-2772! Thank you everyone!

WE NEED TOOLS

We are in need of some tools for build day and the 2 days prior to build day...do you or do you know someone who can help us aquire the tools we need??????

Pea Gravel...we need 164 tons of pea gravel...cost $7200.00
Concrete...1.47 cubic meters ...cost $200.00
Shovels 12-15
sono tubes 21 @ 12" diameter x 36"
Bobcat/tractor with 10"/12" auger
string line/marking paint
tape measures 3-4
stick welder-200 amp gas powered 1
7018 1/8" welding rods (2 boxes)
4' level 2-4
topedo levels 2-3
cordless impact driver 3-4
cordless drills 3-4
drill bits 21/64", 5/32", 1/4", 1/8" -2 each
Buffer/grinder/steel chop saw 1
cutting wheels for grinder 5
wheelbarrows 12-15
rakes 12-15
wrench or rachet set 1/2", 9/16", 3/4" 3-4 sets
tamper proof bits T45, T40, T55,T30,T27
Sledge hammer 1
step ladder 8'-10' 2
extension cord fairly long 1

WE HAVE A NAME!!!!!!!

We now have a name for our playground at the Heritage Park! It will be:

The Scott Alan Redmond Memorial Playground
Live, Love, Laugh

We, the committee of the Heritage park decided that we would like to approach the Redmond family about using Scott's name on the playground that is being built at the Heritage Park We felt that with all that Scott stood for and all that his memory stands for today it would be a great choice for all of us! Here is the letter we submitted to Let Them Be Kids about Scott! We were told at the end of last week that our submission was being accepted!



Scott Alan Redmond
June 4,1972-August 6, 1994

On August 6, 1994, Scott Redmond was killed in a car accident at the age of 22 years. To those that didn’t know him, it may have been just another unfortunate accident. But for those who did know him, it was the loss of a wonderful friend, great employee and a cherished son and brother. Among his many qualities was an ability to make people laugh and smile. He was the “life of the party”--not in the way you might think for Scott never smoked or drank--but in that wholesome “life is good” way. When you were down, Scott was there to lift you up.

Scott lived life to the fullest. He loved sports, particularly stock car racing and softball. He loved music. But more than that--Scott had goals --to drive a big truck, to drive and even own a stock car, and these two he did achieve before his death.

Scott attended Fort Augustus School (now the site of Heritage Park) from grades 1-9. After completing high school, Scott worked until the time of his death for Austin McQuaid Trucking and Warehousing. In the words of his employer, Scott “was a kind, responsible young man with a witty personality, a very dedicated worker who never missed a day’s work and was always a treat to be around. Scott loved kids. …he was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need at any time of the day or night.”

By the age of 22, to have lived life to the fullest without the aid of alcohol or cigarettes, to be the life of the party, to have goals and achieve at least two of them, Scott was a real role model to his peers, and now due to his family’s efforts at keeping his memory alive with the Scott Redmond Memorial Ball Tournament each year, he has become a role model to the newer generation as well. Therefore we respectfully submit Scott Redmond as our choice of a fallen hero to have our new playground in Fort Augustus dedicated to his memory.

Respectfully submitted,
Barbara MacFarlane
(on behalf of) Fort Augustus Heritage Park Committee

Spaghetti Supper success

The spaghetti supper went over better than any of the committee members could have imagined! The showing of community support was amazing, and a great time was had by all! With spaghetti, salad, bread, rolls, and cake on the menu everyone left with the bellies full! We also had a penny auction that night, with items up for grabs like a model airplane, a necklace and earing set. a kettle and so much more! The grand total for the evenings events was $1700.00 ! Wow!! Thank you so much to everyone who came out that evening to show their support!

Fundraising CONTINUES!!!!

Family movie night has come and gone raising $200.00 for our park in Fort Augustus! Everyone in attendance seemed to have a really good time and enjoyed the movie!

Last night was our Wine and Cheese evening with Margie Carmicheal Scotto and what a show she put on with Eddie accompanying her on guitar and fiddle! We raised another $252.00 at this event!

Next up is our Spaghetti Supper on Sunday October 3rd, 2010. Admission for this is $10.00 per person or $25.00 per family! Tickets are selling like hot cakes and looks like it should be another great evening. We will also be incorporating a penny auction in this event! Some prizes we have accumulated thus far are : a model airplane, a reflexology, some baskets of pickles and preserves, and I am sure we will have a few more items by Sunday! So come out to the Fort Augustus Rec. Center for a fun family evening, beginning at 4pm! Hope to see you all there!!!

Amanda's Walk!

SO Amanda has decided to try and raise funds and awareness about the playground and the build day. To do this she has decided to walk from the Heritage Park to K-Rock in Charlottetown. The trek is between 23 kms. She is looking for sponsors for the walk and has already in the first day of canvassing raised $140.00! The walk will take place on October 23rd, 2010 starting at 11 am. Amanda spoke with Colin MacKay at K-Rock today and they have given their support for this endeavor and will be posting some info on Facebook and their website www.krock1055.com as well. If you would like to sponsor Amanda in her walk please contact her by email at meandthekids@live.ca, by phone at 676-2015 or donate using paypal on this website! At week 2 she has raised almost $400.00 keep the sponsors coming!!!!!!!!

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Heritage Park has been working very hard the past few weeks to make our dreams of a playground at Heritage Park a reality. Lots of meetings on designing the perfect playground and adult exercise equipment. We finally have a finished design and will be moving on to the next step this week...a construction meeting so we know all that is involved with the build. We have also been meeting with lots of organizations about fundraising and the need for volunteers on the day of the build. Everyone we have spoken with seems quite receptive to such an ambitious undertaking.

So to keep our dreams alive we are still fundraising as we have a ways to go yet...

Saturday September 25th, 2010 we will be hosting a Family Movie night at Donagh Regional School, from 6:30-9 pm...cost $5.00 per person

Wednesday September 29th, 2010 we will be hosting a Wine and Cheese evening, with entertainment at Paddy's Pub from 7-9pm...cost $10.00 per person.

Sunday October 3rd, 2010 we will be hosting a spagetti supper at the Fort Augustus Rec Center from 4-6 pm...cost $10.00 per person or $25.00 per family.

More info will follow on the latter 2 events...more info on Family Movie night is posted on the blog now. Hope you will all come out and support a new playground in our community! We are working to make a positive difference in our community!

Press Release by Barb MacFarlane

Funding Support by “Let Them Be Kids” for Fort Augustus Heritage Park

Wow! In less than three months, Fort Augustus Heritage Park will have a “Build Day” With the support of various funding partners, and now with the announcement that we have received a Let Them Be Kids Helping Hands Award for 2010, our dream of having a park where children can play on playground equipment, adults of all ages can exercise on outdoor fitness equipment, and wheelchair bound citizens can have a place to play, exercise, and socialize will become a reality sooner than we thought possible. This award will give a 50/50 match for every fundraising dollar that is raised to go toward the purchase of equipment. We are very excited to be given this National Award”, says committee chair, Barb MacFarlane, “but we also realize there is a lot of work involved.” And that’s where Ft. Augustus and surrounding communities come in. About 150 volunteers will be needed on “Build Day”, Oct. 30th, 2010 to make this ambitious project come to fruition---everything from preparing food for the workers, carrying water, shoveling gravel, and everything in between. . ”.


Our goal is to not only provide a safe and fun place for all citizens to gather, but to enhance that “we can do it attitude”. By having adult equipment and children’s playground equipment in the same general area, we hope to foster intergenerational support and appreciation as well. “Like in the story, The Little Engine That Could,” says committee member, Cheryl Good, “ on Oct. 30th, we will be the little community that did”.

The design of the playground will be the result of a democratic process called dot-mocracy. Children vote on the kinds of components they would like to see in the structure by using tiny stick-on dots. Bel-Air Playgrounds will then use these results to design a play structure that includes features identified as most appealing by the children. The same process will determine which adult outdoor gym equipment to purchase.

Let Them Be Kids is a charitable world-wide program, which acts as a catalyst in building strong communities through building playgrounds in areas of need. Led by founder, Ian Hill, the organization was named by the World Leisure Congress as “one of the four most innovative leisure programs in the world.” More information about this organization can be found at www.ltbk.org.


If you would like to volunteer, make a donation, or for more information please visit our website at fortaugustus.ltbk.ca or call 902-569-3577. This is an opportunity for active participation and to develop a sense of optimism about the future of our community.

Scott Redmond Memorial Tournament Weekend!

Well what a weekend August 6th-8th turned out to be! The Scott Redmond Memorial Softball Tournament weekend...there was ball Friday, Saturday and Sunday...and beautiful weather for it too. Then on Friday night there was a silent auction , Saturday night was the dance, and Sunday was the closing ceremonies. From what I have heard the ball games all went very well as they do every year and the weather even cooperated this year...many comments were made about how we usually have rain at some point on the weekend every other year. The Silent Auction on Friday night brought in record crowds as well, and Linda Redmond was very happy with the turnout. Saturday night was a night to let loose and have some fun at the Fort Augustus Rec Center and the dance floor remained packed right until the end of the night. At the closing ceremonies it was announced that there was more than $10, 000 raised this year to be donated to the Heritage Park Playground build! What a honor to be able to participate and help in such a wonderful event! Thank you Linda and the Redmond family for your support of the Heritage Park playground!

Strawberry Social and Fun day...ANNOUNCEMENT DAY!

Well what a great day we had for our Strawberry Social and Fun Day today...the sun was shining and it was a beautiful warm day with only a slight breeze. A perfect day to come together as a community and have some fun, socialize and meet some new people. And what a perfect day to give such awesome news to our community. Barb was up first to welcome everyone, including politicians Lawrence MacAuley and Alan MacIssac. Then it was up to Cheryl and I to generate some excitement about our huge news...we were granted a Helping Hands award from Let Them Be Kids and were getting a playground for our community...a playground for children and adults! This is fantastic news and we wanted to get everyone excited, and involved. We will need lots of hands for lots of jobs come October 30th, 2010..our build day! So the announcement was made, we passed out some flyers and talked to lots of people. We held our DOT mocracy, we drew everyones hands to make our bridge for the ribbon cutting on the build day, we had local entertainment, we had strawberries and ice cream (YUMMY). We also had some activities for the kids which included a soccer game with kids vs adults..the kids won with the last goal...a 3 legged race, a water balloon relay,and a huge water balloon fight at the end which the kids loved. There was also face painting and tattoos that the children took full advantage of. A wonderful day was had by all and we are calling the day a huge success. Thank you to all who attended from the Heritage Park Committee, and we can't wait to see everyone on the 30th of October, when our dreams become reality!

Our Reason!

To instill a sense of optimism about our community to counteract a sense of loss experienced when we lost our only store, our resident parish priest (both within the last 6 months), and the loss of our school about 8 years ago.

Our Purpose!

To install children’s playground equipment /outdoor gym equipment at Heritage Park. Accessible equipment is also planned to make our park open to all citizens. Our purpose is to provide a safe and inviting place for citizens of all ages to come, have fun, socialize, and exercise.

We got it!

The Fort Augustus Heritage Park committee is working hard to improve our community, by building a childrens playground and adult gym equipment. We were awarded a National Award from Let Them Be Kids to allow us to make our dreams a reality for the community. Let Them Be Kids has granted us a 50/50 split on our funding, meaning that for every $1.00 we raise, Let Them Be Kids will match it giving us $2.00! How wonderful is that!!!!! We are so excited and with lots of hard work from everyone in our community we adults, as well as our children will have a safe place to get physical activity and a wonderful place to play. We will be having our big announcement to the community on August 1st, 2010 at the Strawberry and Ice Cream Social and fun day. Our Build day is scheduled for October 30th, 2010! So make sure you sign up and help out with the fun filled and wonderful community event!