Bountiful harvest
Red Oak Shrine club partners with Arlington Orchards for annual Family Fun Day
Arlington Orchards’ landscape is as sweet as the apples and stretches as far as the eye can see. And maybe that’s partly why hundreds flock every year for annual Family Fun Day, held Sunday afternoon, so they can frolic outdoors, hit the hay rides or pick more apples than can be carried or eaten.
Arlington Orchards’ landscape is as sweet as the apples and stretches as far as the eye can see. And maybe that’s partly why hundreds flock every year for annual Family Fun Day, held Sunday afternoon, so they can frolic outdoors, hit the hay rides or pick more apples than can be carried or eaten.
“It’s a nice afternoon and we will start with old-fashioned games for the kids at 1 p.m., which include sack races, threelegged races, marshmallow races, and other fun activities,” chimed Dave Crocker, president of the Red Oak Shrine Club. Kensington Red Oak Shrine Club partners with Arlington Orchards every year for Family Fun Day, while all in support of a worthy cause.
“The event supports the Montreal Shriners Hospital for Children, and funds raised also go towards helping with the transportation of kids in this area, including the Maritimes,” acknowledged Crocker.
From past events, the club has raised more than $20,000 for the privately-funded hospital.
“The hospital was built by the Shriners and operated by them, so it doesn’t use public funds.
There are 25 Shriner hospitals in North America, one in Mexico City, and one in Canada, and the rest are located in the United States. But it takes about $750 million a year to run them, so we try to raise our share,” he continued.
The Club has three children from the area that are currently being treated at the hospital.
Crocker noted, “This is a great day for families, and great promotion for us because people get to see what we do, and it helps with our other fundraisers.
“It’s also a great event for the owner of Arlington Orchards, Barry Balsam because it brings exposure to his crop.” Tanya Winchester said she brings her family every year to the event.
“It’s a family tradition and there are five of us today. We will be making apple cider, caramel apples, and apple pie later,” she said.
Rona MacCormack, among the families at the event, said, “We come because it’s a fun family day outing and we also celebrate the Shriners and their fundraising efforts.”