Make the most of summer with Take to the Lake challenge

With the provincial stay-at-home order lifting soon, and summer weather ahead, Sault Area Hospital Foundation (SAHF) is encouraging Saultites to get outdoors and enjoy what the community has to offer. SAHF has partnered with OLG and Canadian Tire and is inviting everyone to participate in the Take to the Lake challenge.

Take to the Lake will be a series of summer photo challenges that will help get the community outdoors and active while raising money for the Sault Area Hospital Foundation.

“Nothing says summer in Northern Ontario like ‘Taking to the Lake’. OLG is proud to partner with the Sault Area Hospital Foundation to help bring this great initiative to life,” said Jennifer Barban, director of community programs, OLG. “Through these challenging times, I believe we have all developed a deeper appreciation for our health, surroundings, family, and friends.”

“Thanks to the dedication of our local healthcare workers, SAH and our community, we are gearing up for a great summer. I’m sure many OLG families will be jumping at the chance to take part in the Take to the Lake challenge. Let the outdoor adventure begin,” she said. 

Participants can register by setting up a fundraising page online, and compete by completing each challenge and taking a creative photo. These challenges will be for all ages and abilities. 

The challenges will start on June 2 and will run until Sept. 7. The first in the series will be the Sootoday.com First Dip Challenge which will launch on June 2. Participants are asked to demonstrate what their first "dip" into the water looks like at the start of this summer, and will have until July 5 to complete this challenge. 

Upcoming challenges will include: 

• Algoma Insurance Lake Views Challenge: June 7-July 19 
• Joe’s Sports and Surplus Paddle Master Challenge: June 21-Aug. 3 
• Christie’s RV Catch of the Day Challenge: June 28 - Aug. 16 
• Floreani, O’Toole, Dool and Family Dentistry on Bay Give’r to the River Challenge: July 12 - Aug. 23 
• Tenaris It’s a Shore Thing Challenge: July 26 - Aug. 30 
• BDO S’more Please Challenge: Aug. 9 - Sept. 7 
• Maitland Ford Lincoln Dog Days of Summer BONUS Challenge: June 14 - Aug. 30 

Those who raise a minimum of $25 for SAHF will be entered to win up to $10,000 in prizes donated by local businesses. Prizes include gear (stand-up paddleboards, giant water mats, bikes, camping gear), experiences (weekend getaways, lessons, tours, and memberships), and more. 

“When the idea for ‘Take to the Lake’ came to us, it seemed like a win all-around,” said Teresa Martone, executive director for the Sault Area Hospital Foundation. “This challenge is all about reconnecting: with each other, with nature, with our inner adventurer and – virtually – with our community. It’s a great opportunity to get outdoors in our beautiful area, be healthy, and support our hospital. With all proceeds supporting the purchase of medical equipment for our local hospital, we hope to see lots of Saultites embracing the challenge and ‘Taking to the Lake’  this summer.”

To help stop the spread of COVID-19, Saultites are still encouraged to continue following public health guidelines and stay home as much as possible. 

So each week, SooToday will share some of the virtual events taking place to help you make the most of these unprecedented times and have fun safely at home.

If you or someone you know is planning a local virtual event (concert, class, celebration, etc.), send the details to [email protected].

Other events taking place this week include:

Fried Chicken Sandwich Cooking Demo

June 2 

The City of Kitchener is hosting a free cooking demo open to anyone interested in learning how to make a crispy fried chicken sandwich, perfect for summer. The demonstration will be taught by Chef Nicole and will be available to watch on YouTube on Wednesday, June 2 at 6:30 p.m. Recipes and ingredients will not be provided ahead of the demo. 

Trek Travel Virtual Event -Traveling to Europe

June 2

The European Union is re-opening borders to vaccinated travellers, and this virtual event by Trek Travel will cover what you need to know if you have travel plans in the near future. There will also be prizes and trivia. The event will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, June 2 at 6 p.m.

Online Baking Workshop: XL Bakery Style Cinnamon Buns 

June 5

If you’ve ever walked past a bakery and smelled the decadence of their cinnamon buns and wanted some of your own, this virtual workshop will show you how to make extra-large, bakery style cinnamon buns. Shiela will teach you how to make fluffy dough from scratch, along with cardamom cinnamon filling and two types of frosting. The workshop will be held via Zoom on Saturday, June 5 at 10 a.m. The Zoom link and recipe will be sent prior to the event. 

Have an event coming up? Add it to our Community Calendar here.

Did we miss something? E-mail us at [email protected]