One Island family
It's easy to pull out a map of Prince Edward Island and think that it's an array of individual communities.
But if you shed that superficial layer, what you'll find is something different. Below the surface, those many communities are really just one big community – that is, "the Island".
Take the overwhelming support for three-yearold Summerside boy Camden Kingyens. Just before Christmas, Camden was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. Treating the disease means rounds of chemotherapy, scans, tests and travel to the IWK Children's Hospital in Halifax and possibly Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
What's more, it means his parents have had to step away from their jobs, their home, their local support system and focus on the unknown future of their son.
Over the weekend, Holman's Ice Cream Parlour, a popular stop in Summerside, opened its doors for two days to raise funds for the Kingyens. The business went through 90 tubs of ice cream and served about 1,700 customers. While Holman's wouldn't specify the amount raised for Camden, it did say the 16 sponsors of the ice cream flavours went above the required $400 each. By March 13, $41,491 of the $50,000 community goal has been raised for the Kingyens.
And while this is something to be proud of, to make Summersiders cheer for the willingness to support their own, it's not a unique occurrence to this one Island community.
In the west, there is the current movement to rebuild the Tyne Valley and Area Community Sports Centre after the community hub was destroyed in a fire in December. The campaign features a bid for the Hockeyville title (the Top 4 contenders were scheduled to be announced today) with Islanders rallying for the Valley.
In Charlottetown and beyond, to the east, there is the annual Bowl for Kids sake event that usually raises over $100,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters, P.E.I., and the Winsloe Players' Family Antics (coming up in April) that raises thousands for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital/Eastlink Telethon in aid of a new $1.5 million CT simulator for the P.E.I. Cancer Treatment Centre.
Not to mention at any time of year you can walk into almost any community hall and find a benefit for someone, somewhere.
And as the spring weather comes, the walking begins, with communities hosting numerous walks for dementia, breast cancer awareness, autism and other advocacy initiatives.
In truth, we support incredibly well. Giving to help those in our communities doesn't require a second thought on P.E.I.
The way the Island bands together in hard times, heck, even happy times, is something to be proud of.
Look back on the recent years and you'll be quick to realize we're all in this together.
One Island. One people. Many layers.