The Chatham-Kent Chapter of Noelle's Gift to Children is gearing up for a busy season.
The group has several fundraising events in the coming months, including an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest dining table.
History Will Be Made will take place on Saturday, April 11, at the Chatham Armoury.
"Noelle's Gift was approached by a farmer from Blenheim who had this idea," said Caress Less, Co-Chair of Noelle’s Gift to Children, Chatham-Kent Chapter. "It's going to be a live auction, a silent auction, there's a three-course pasta dinner buffet, and a bunch of fundraising door prizes. Think of it like a Gala, but much more down-to-earth, low-key."
Tickets are $50 for adults, and $20 for children 12 and under and can be purchased online at www.konyha.ca. They're aiming to have 314 guests around the table.
"It's called a caterpillar table, and we get everybody around it. I believe that the old record is around 280, so they're aiming for a little bit more than that," said Lee. "We're hoping we can sell out all these tickets, and Chatham-Kent can have that record."
Then on Friday, April 24, the Light Up the Night for Noelle - CK Edition will take place at Mud Creek Trail in Chatham. This is the second annual 5K Run/Walk.
"Something really cool about that one is you can register as a team. So we have a bunch of schools that are going head-to-head against one another, different classrooms going head-to-head, and then different groups in the community that are joining. You know, maybe you don't want to do it by yourself, but you'll get a couple of friends together. It's a run or walk, and then there's a one-kilometre run for the kiddos as well," said Lee.
The run is chip timed, and all the participants will get a t-shirt, plus there are awards for the top fundraisers. To sign up, visit https://raceroster.com/events/2026/111780/light-up-the-night-for-noelle-ck-edition.
All the proceeds raised at these two events will go to Noelle’s Gift, a community-driven charity in memory of Noelle Paquette. It helps students in Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton reach their full potential by providing access to essential items that help ensure every child can come to school ready to learn.
Learn more at https://noellesgift.ca/.
