Ten years of fundraising at Lougheed Town Centre culminated in a $17,000cheque for the Burnaby Firefighters' Charitable Society.
For the past decade, the mall has been raising money for the firefighters' group, through proceeds from stroller rentals and photos at Halloween and Christmas.
To date, the mall has raised more than $259,000 for the Burnaby Firefighters' Charitable Society, whose members volunteer in the community and fundraiser for local causes.
THANK YOU, MR. TALLARICO
I received a lovely surprise email from my elementary school teacher Luigi Tallarico, wondering if I was the same girl he taught back in the '80s in Delta.
Here's what he wrote: "I taught a wonderful young girl named Jennifer Moreau back in the 1980s at Devon Gardens Elementary in North Delta. I recall that she had great talent in writing stories.
Was that you or just someone with the same name? In any case, I enjoy reading your columns. Regards, Luigi Tallarico"
Yes, that was me, and I would like to say thanks to Mr. Tallarico, who encouraged me as a very young writer.
I had my first taste of journalism under his guidance during a class news-paper project.
I wrote an article about how someone had tried to set a bush on fire in front of the school.
I marched very seriously down to the office, notepad in hand, inquiring about the case of suspected vandalism, and I was thrilled when my story made the front page.
I also wrote a poem that was published in the local community paper, and Mr. Tallarico proudly shared the news with my classmates. So thank you to Mr. Tallarico and all the teachers who encourage and foster us as children.
Do you have an item for Here & Now? Send ideas about community happenings and interesting people to Jennifer, jmoreau@burnaby now.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, @JenniferMoreau, or see her blog at www.burnabynow. com.
