Marco Alexander and Constantine Bethune are making a ‘splash' in downtown Stouffville. And if you’re lucky, you could be awash in cash as a result of a very creative initiative being taken by the owner and general manager, respectively, of the Dominion Lending Centre’s office at 6248 Main Street, HERONGATE EZBARN mmmt‘ 10 0 September 2009 ‘ “St.,H. Markham 905-,294-3‘ 82 0 www.peppertree.ca My; Want PEPPERTREE KLASSICS DINNER SHOW RESERVATIONS (IALI Women’s Fashions, Footwear Accessories 905-472-3085 or www.herongatc.com By Bruce Stapley ° Stouffvillc Free Press Opening on Sept.25 "LOOKING“ by Norm Fest! The Cash, My Friend, ls Blowin’ in the Wind JKINU by Norm Foster 'not valid with any other offer PRESENTS Natasha, who has been practising for seven years and was a supervisor for three years at a sports medicine clinic in Angus, near Barrie, decided to go it on her own after a 15 month maternity leave. With the help of her husband David, a physical education teacher at Pierre Elliot Trudeau High School in Markham, and her capable administration assistant Kristen Belanger, Natasha has created a warm and inviting clinic. Marco and Constantine found themselves holed up in the lg‘azebo, surrounded by knee-high water, as they served up 160 ct dogs at the storm-soaked Moonlight Madness event Aug. 20. “By 7:30 the water was right up to the lion and seeping into the gazebo," recalled Marcos “We were stranded.†.- u Marco and Constantine weren’t the only occupants of the gazebo during what turned into a veritable monsoon. “The guy who was running the pony ride came over to get a hot dog when it started to rain hard, and all he could do was stay under with us and watch his pony in the trailer up to its axles in water by the curb." The teeming rain and gale force winds made for a spectacular backdrop to the event, which was attended by an appreciative group including Mayor Wayne Emmerson and a host of family members of owner and senior physiotherapist Natasha Weber. just east of theï¬Care and Sh_are Marco and Constantine are hoping for better weather when they hold their Open House Sept. 27. While offering up hamburgers and hot dogs for all who happen by, their feature attraction will be a wind chamber containing $5,000 in bills. People are invited to drop by before that date to fill out a ballot, and five lucky ones will get to spend 25 seconds in the chamber grabbing as much of the wind-blown cash as they can. The Open House is to run from 1 till 5:30 pm, with the money grab taking place at 4:30. The tornado wannabe of Aug. 20 made its mark in Stouffville’s west end business district as well as in the downtown core. lt coincided with the Grand Opening of Fusion Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre in the brand new commercial building at 61 Ringwood Drive, beside the Randy's Appliances and Jolana's Exceptional Home Décor building. David doubled as summer contractor and stay-at-home New Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre a Family Affair Building Hope For The Future On Friday, Oct. 16, EastRidge Church will host the fifth annual fundraising dinner and auction in support of the Stouffville lgoma Partnership (SIP). The partnership was officially launched in December 2003, but its roots go back to 1998, when a team from several churches in Whitchurchâ€" Stouffville went to Igoma in Tanzania to build the Urafiki Health Centre for the 42,000 residents of the impoverished community. Lack of operating funds delayed its launch until the summer of 2003, when another local team went back to refurbish it. On their return, they asked the Town of Whitchurch- Stouffville to create a partnership with the Tanzanian community They received unanimous approval, and SIP was born. ' In addition to funding medical supplies, equipment purchases, a clinic expansion and the provision of mother/ child infant care services, SlP has also installed a water purification system and wireless internet services at the centre. Ongoing projects include improving laboratory facilities, providing basic hygiene instructions and planning for eye and dental clinic services. As well, SIP supports a secondary school program and vocational training for young adults, and distributes mosquito nets to lgoma residents. “In mid-September there is a medical team 6T eight nurses going to lgoma,†said EastRidge pastor Lou Ceense. "Two of them have extensive tropical diseases experience. They plan to do 10 days Dad for the couple’s two young sons as Natasha poured herself into her new project. “He hasn’t really had much time off this summer," said Natasha. The couple met while studying physical education at McMaster University. Withvthe seemingly endless task of setting up the practice behind them, Natasha realizes the work has just begun; “The real test will come when David heads back to school.†Natasha, an accomplished athlete in her youth, specializes in pre/post natal fitness and sports injury rehabilitation. She was the trainer for the McMaster varsity women’s soccer team, has served as team physiotherapist for the Barrie Baycats baseball team, and was the treating therapist for the Mariposa School of Skating. The family moved from Barrie to Mt. Albert two years ago. Natasha has always wanted to start up her own practice. “My main motivator is family life, being able to dictate my own hours, so if there is a special school trip I can arrange to take the morning off to go. Your kids are only young once.†In January. another team from southern Ontario will travel to lgoma to help with construction work, said Pastor Ceense. “There are still places available on this team‘ The primary work will be rebuilding a church on the outer edge of the lgoma community. It is a place where we hold mobile clinics when we travel to Tanzania with a medical team.†Justin Kerswill is a member of the SIP board of directors and is helping to organize the fundraiser. “This dinner is our main source of support for SIP and usually raises forty to fifty thousand dollars,†he said. “We are looking for donations for the silent auction and we encourage anyone to make a donation Most items are receiptable.’ of clinics in the surrounding area from Urafiki Health Centre. On the last three days they will be in the clinic itself to treat any people sent in from the surrounding villages or people who need more intensive care than can be provided by the mobile clinics.†Tickets are $50 per person and $400 for a table On Oct 16 doors ope n for the silent auction at 5:30 p m. andpe dinner is at 6 pm Tickets can be purchased from Helene Johnson at the pChamber of Commerce office at the train station. For more details, or to make an auction donation, call Justin Kerswill at 905» 640-3513. You can also visit www.5ipartncrship. org to learn more about SIP or to find out about volunteering opportunities. Stouffville