Heather Latter
In an effort to help participants of the “I Am Awesome! (And I Know It!)” retreat offset the cost to attend, retreat director Renée Martin-Brown is helping the girls plan a “Music in the Park” fundraiser for July 17 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Lions Park in Emo.
“I’ve been encouraging them to fundraise part of the money to attend,” she explained, citing she doesn’t want the registration fee to be a barrier for anyone who wants to participate in the retreat.
Targeting girls aged 10-14, the retreat will take place Sept. 26-29 at Hanson’s Hideaway Lodge in Nestor Falls.
“My vision is that this weekend will nurture and develop self-esteem while exploring areas such as positive body image, peer pressure, confidence-building, exploring emotions, media influences, and much more,” she explained, noting the girls will discover more about themselves while participating in various workshops.
Martin-Brown has brought on board professional women who will teach the young women about drama, music, visual arts, yoga, creative writing, spirituality, and healthy cooking.
The presenters include Sylvie Matthews (discovering your passions), Kathy Loney (yoga), Katherine Williams (drama), Wendy Turcott (visual arts), Bethany Bullock (self-esteem education), Carrie Shouldice (creative writing and journaling), Diane Clifford (discovering spirituality, faith, hope, and love), and Maureen Hanson (healthy cooking).
“We’ve come together to provide this amazing experience for these girls so that when they leave, this weekend has changed their life,” said Martin-Brown.
“That’s my goal,” she continued. “I know that we can do that. I know that we will be able to touch them in some way.
“One of these workshops will be the one that connects with them.”
Currently, there are 13 confirmed participants for the retreat, but she added there are several more who are interested and trying to see if they can commit financially to the registration cost.
“That’s why the fundraising is so important,” Martin-Brown stressed.
Next Wednesday’s event will accept a free will offering and donations.
There will be a line-up of performers, including Martin-Brown, her husband Ken Brown, Trevor Barker, Taylor Shouldice, Brittany Hayes, Brianna Eldridge, Kennedy Latimer, and many more.
The girls who are participating in the “I Am Awesome! (And I Know It!)” retreat will be on hand, selling refreshments and other goodies.
“People can come on out and listen to some live music,” she enthused, noting there is limited seating available at the park, so people might want to bring their own chairs.
She added with the playground equipment and spray park there, it is expected to be a great evening for families.
“Any of the girls who have signed up already and come and help, the proceeds will be split evenly among them,” she explained.
But Martin-Brown is also hoping the fundraiser will spark some interest from service clubs, churches, and businesses, who might be interested in sponsoring a girl to attend the retreat, in full or even partially.
In the case of sponsoring, she indicated that money would not be divided among confirmed participants, but would go towards helping girls who want to attend, but are having difficulties with the financial commitment.
“Come and see what we’re all about. Meet the girls, see how any donation would change their life,” urged Martin-Brown.
“It’s a large financial commitment and I understand that,” she added. “That’s why I’m hoping that if it touches that heart of your business, that you think it would be beneficial to these girls’ lives and you want to make a donation to sponsor another girl to attend, we would love to see that support.”
Martin-Brown stressed all the money will go directly to the girls to help pay their registration fee.
She added it’s not too late for girls to sign up to attend the retreat.
Visit www.i-am-awesome.ca to learn more.
