Looking Back - 1998: First ever Koats for Kids campaign

Details

Published on Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Neepawa Banner & Press Archives

In 1998 Leona Therrien was on hand to help with distributing winter clothing for the Neepawa and District United Way.

Jessica Morton
Neepawa Banner & Press

80 years ago
Tuesday, February 1, 1938
The Neepawa Midget hockey team has started out on what they contend is a victorious circuit of games by defeating Gladstone at that town Thursday night. The local Juveniles and girls hockey teams went to Minnedosa Friday night for friendly games but both came home humbled by defeats. Return games on all the above are planned to take place shortly.

70 years ago
Thursday, February 5, 1948
Brandon Athletics, a fast skating, well balanced hockey club, provided many breath taking moments in a two game series with Neepawa Intermediates here last week. The local team won Thursday nights game 10-4, a score that was no indication of the game. Returning for Saturday’s game, Brandon turned on the heat with the opening whistle, scoring three goals without a return to halve Neepawa’s lead at the end of the first period. Ike Prokoski scored two and Gurba one, assists going to Peterson and Kindrel. There was no let up in action during the final period. Whiteman closed the scoring for Neepawa with two counters while Brandon put heavy pressure on Duffy to come out on the high end of a 7-5 score. Nine penalties were handed out by the referees.

60 years ago
Friday, February 7, 1958
Five pin trundlers in Central Manitoba will be converging in Neepawa Saturday and all next week when the BPO Elks annual tourney will be the feature attraction. The valuable prizes offered in the tourney are on display in the former Bray’s Store window and two General Electric 21-inch TV sets top the attractive array of awards.

50 years ago
Friday, February 6, 1968
About 600 people filled the Hazel M. Kellington school auditorium Friday night to watch a performance of the play, “My Soldier Girls,” presented by a group of ladies from the Mentmore district, and they were pleased with that they saw. Started as a centennial project, the ladies began practicing last fall and Friday’s performance was the third to date. They had previously presented the play at Brookdale and Bethany and they have been booked for four more appearances at Kelwood, Basswood, Arden and Franklin.

40 years ago
Thursday, February 2, 1978
The storm that began last Tuesday, Jan. 24, with a heavy snowfall that continued through the night and into Wednesday with wild winds forced many travellers to take shelter in some unfamiliar spots. Just one example is the accommodations found by vice-principal Dave Bennet and NACI students Perry Black, Daryl Chute and John Dreveski who were en route from Winnipeg to Neepawa on Tuesday. The four, along with about 40 other motorists, found shelter at the Elie Esso station, when reduced visibility forced cautious travellers off the highway. The Bennet car finally arrived back in Neepawa at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. In the 23 miles between Elie and Portage on the route home they counted 20 cars still in the ditch, and that was after tow trucks had been operating for most of the day.

30 years ago
Tuesday, February 2, 1988
It’ll be a few more days before the world’s best thrower of a curling rock for distance can be determined. Organizers of the Neepawa Curling Distance Derby were forced to reach a decision on Saturday evening to postpone the event originally scheduled for Jan. 31. Heavy snowfall, combined with cold temperatures and a strong wind caused the postponement until Feb. 7. Starting at 9:30 a.m. this Sunday those entering will get a chance to have their name in the Guiness Book of World Records. The person tossing a curling rock the furthest on the world’s largest sheet of curling ice will be declared the entry into the record book.

20 years ago
Monday, February 2, 1998
The Neepawa and District United Way distributed over 70 pieces of winter clothing during its first ever Koats for Kids campaign last Saturday. “We actually weren’t going to do anything until later this year,” said United Way board member Leona Therrien. “But two days after it (Koats for Kids) was announced at our kick off last fall, we had people donating clothing.” Therrien said around 100 items of winter clothing including snowsuits, jackets, hats, scarves and mitts were donated to Koats for Kids. Therrien said next time around the United Way will begin collecting Koats for Kids during the summer, so that winter clothing will be available for distribution in the fall.

10 years ago
Monday, February 4, 2008
Neepawa’s Meals on Wheels program is dealing with a driver shortage that threatens to put the brakes on the popular program. Neepawa Health Centre volunteer coordinator Cindy Armstrong, who is based at East View Lodge, said the program, which normally runs with around 15 drivers is down six this winter. “It’s our worst time of the year,” Armstrong said. “This is the time of year when all of our snowbirds go down south. We lose at least half of our drivers between December and February.” The program is a long running provincial incentive aimed at helping seniors to live on their own longer and provides nutritious, delicious meals - a service not lost on Eleanor Stewart. Stewart, who lives in Elks Manor, has been getting Meals on Wheels for the past four years. “I do find it very hard to cook for one,” Stewart said. “You end up cooking too much. They provide a good variety and I know a lot of people in this building who wouldn’t get a proper meal without this service.” Volunteers are asked to commit around half an hour for the daily deliveries.  Armstrong said current drivers provide the service on a volunteer basis, “but there is available funding for a small honorarium.”