We are counting the days until our special guest, Mr. Renaud Thomas, arrives from Haiti. There are LOTS of opportunities for YOU to meet him, to catch one of his insightful presentations, and to join us in special events during the month of September, including a Rayjon-wide BBQ!
DON’T MISS OUT!
CaribeFest Sarnia – Friday, Sept. 15
We are gearing up to party – Caribbean style. We have a stellar lineup of dance performers, food, artisans, vendors, interactive games/displays, and Renaud will be our special guest speaker!
*FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Trail & Ale – Saturday, Sept. 23
Have you signed up for Trail & Ale yet? Walk or Run, 5K or 10K. Volunteers also needed.
As a fun option for the 5K Walkers – Renaud will be leading us on “Renaud’s Route” – a 1K portion of the 5K route with some surprise stops to get a taste of Haitian culture!
Rayjon-wide BBQ – Tuesday, Sept. 26
ALL Rayjon supporters are invited to join us for a community BBQ on Tuesday, September 26th.
When: Tuesday, September 26th from 4:30PM – 7:30 PM (drop-in anytime!)
Where: 3063 Egremont Road, Camlachie (Marlo’s house)
Please RSVP by Sept. 22nd so that Marlo and her team of generous volunteers can prepare!
Food provided, including vegetarian options.
BYOB and BYO lawn chair, please!
Freewill donations welcome to support Renaud’s travel in Canada and his work in Haiti (not required)
Giving Renaud a Sarnia welcome
Renaud has never been to Canada. We plan to make sure he enjoys all that Sarnia has to offer! From kayaking on the bay/lake, to fries under the bridge, to a walk in Canatara… all of these things we’ll be squeezing in his busy schedule as we go along. We’ll put out notices on social media – so that you know where to meet us when. If you want to make sure you don’t miss out, send a message to Heather [email protected] so she can add to you a special e-mail chain for last-minute invites to join in the fun!
Local Church Visits
Renaud will be visiting two local church communities to share updates about Rayjon’s work in Haiti.
– Sacred Heart Parish, 1465 Lecaron Ave. in Sarnia on Sunday, September 17th, briefly at 9am and 11am masses, with meet ‘n greet after both services
– Grace United Church, 990 Cathcart Blvd. on Sunday, September 24th, Renaud will be the special guest speaker at the 10am service, followed by a social time.
– St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church in North York on Sunday, October 1st. Renaud will be the guest speaker at 10am, followed by refreshments/social.
Other Ways to Help Make Renaud’s visit special!
Renaud will be a special guest for several of our major funding partners around the province, which means he has stops in London, Guelph, and Toronto, and Montreal. We are going to make sure he has the full tourist experience! If you’d like to contribute to these costs (i.e. covering entrance fees to such places like the CN Tower and Toronto Aquarium) we’d appreciate it! Talk to Heather ([email protected] or 519-381-5929 if you can help).
We also need meals prepared – Rayjon Chair Joanna is organizing a calendar of volunteer-prepared simple dinners and lunches. Let her know if you can help [email protected].
University of Guelph Arboretum
You may not know that in addition to his work as Director of Rayjon Share Care Haiti, Renaud is a sought-after expert in sustainable agriculture and permaculture design. If you’re in the Guelph area, join him for “Patterns in the Trees: A Permaculture Approach to Woody Plants in Canada and the Tropics” on Monday, Sept. 18th.