Ottawa Citizen, The Wrap
November 10, 2010
Written by Chris Macknie
Pencil it in – starting today Scout shops across Canada and Sports Experts stores (Ottawa and Brockville) will have pencils for the taking i.e. “take a pencil and give what you can”
The money raised will help educate and care for 125 slum youth aged 3 to 19.
Ted Horton, Chair of Hanne Howard Fund and a partner in the Ottawa-Brockville area Sports Experts stores, was faced with a welcomed challenge.
“The Dooher family generously donated 125,000 assorted pencils to us,” said Ted. “Shipping all of them to Kenya was out of the question. We have a scout troop in Lenana so we thought there might be an opportunity to partner with Scouts Canada. We approached Ross Francis, Program Services Director at Scouts Canada, to discuss how we might work together.”
“A project where Scouts in Canada can make it possible for Scouts in a Nairobi slum to go to school really appealed to us,” said Ross. “ It’s a great example of what Scouts can do together to promote brotherhood and understanding.”
“Education for these kids is crucial. It is their ticket out of the slum,” said Ted. “We empower them so they can improve the quality of their lives and the lives of others in the process. With the support of HHF, 31 teenagers are now attending high school—half of them are young women. All of them are so thankful for the opportunity. Going to high school, let alone earning a college diploma or a university degree, was just a dream. Now high school is a reality and post secondary education is a possibility, with our ongoing support. These pencils are symbolic tools and they will help us achieve these goals.”
Inspired by a six-month sabbatical to Africa in 2005, Ted Horton and his wife, Hanne, created the Hanne Howard Fund. The Fund originally consisted of a basic program to provide food, shelter, education and medical assistance for Aids orphans. The Fund has since expanded and now supports several diverse programs, including Scouts, for the Aids orphans and other needy children in Lenana. In 2007 the Hanne Howard Fund became a registered charity in Canada. Ted and Hanne spend up to six months of the year in Kenya, at their own expense, working with this project “Ours is a grassroots, hands-on organization. Hanne is the spark plug. Providing structure, love and care in a degrading environment is her forte. If it wasn’t for her and other like minded supporters, this project wouldn’t exist.” For more information visit www.hannehowardfund.org. The Scouts Canada website is www.scouts.ca.
Sports Experts stores are located in the Bayshore and St. Laurent Shopping Centres, the Rideau Centre; 4338 Innes Road, Orleans and in the Smart Centre in Brockville. The Ottawa Scout Shop is located at 1345 Baseline Road. You can donate on line and also designate Hannehowardfund registration # 855581195 RR001 as a charity of your choice in the United Way campaign.
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