Big Bompa harvests grandparent title
The winners of Community Care’s 33rd annual Grandparent of the Year contest have been announced.
In the primary division, Ali Buchanan — a Grade 3 student from St. Teresa School in Peterborough — won with the nomination of her grandmother, Darlene, who resides in Havelock.
In the junior division, Natalie Grace Garbutt, a Grade 5 student from Lakefield District Public School, won with her nomination of her great-grandfather, 90-year-old Gordon Rosborough of Selwyn Township.
The 60 students who submitted entries were required to write a short essay explaining why they felt their grandparent deserved to win the title, while including a hand-drawn photo.
Buchanan and Garbutt both won $100 restaurant gift certificates to treat their grandparent to a patio or takeout meal. Their essay and hand-drawn pictures were framed and given to their grandparent.
The top three individuals from both divisions won a $50 restaurant gift certificate and also had their essays and pictures framed.
Garbutt, who refers to Rosborough as Big Bompa because he’s so tall, said he means a lot to her.
“My earliest memory of my time spent with Big Bompa is digging through worms in his vegetable garden and eating raspberries,” she wrote in her essay entry.
According to Garbutt, Rosborough has been farming since he was her age. He grew up with 10 brothers and sisters on Rosborough Farm on 7th Line, she said.
“We have spent lots of time together in the garden. He even plants blue pumpkins for us to take in the fall. Pumpkin vines take over the whole garden, but he does it for us anyway,” she wrote.
In Buchanan’s essay, she said her grandmother used to work as a cleaner at the Moonlight Motel in Havelock.
“Now she is retired, she helps with canvasing for cancer. Along with everything she does, she still makes time for her neighbours by walking their dogs and taking them food and baking goods. She is a very kind person and is a great Nana to all her grandkids,” wrote Buchanan.
Alicia Vandine, donor relations and communications lead at Community Care, said the event is an opportunity for children to recognize some amazing seniors in Peterborough City and County.
“And if they have lost their grandparents, it could be a special older person or a neighbour as well,” she said.
Funded by the Government of Canada/Financé par le Gouvernement du Canada.