The sun was shining and there was not a single cloud in the sky–July 27, 2012 was a great day for a BBQ.
We had a fantastic turnout of 20 survivors and supporters in attendance in the great venue. There was access to a fantastic space with a huge kitchen, lounge area, and an outdoor patio with an awesome BBQ. We had bought some fantastic burgers and hotdogs from the Glebe Meat Market and were ready to go.
As 5:30 p.m. came around, people slowly started coming in. Everyone was a little apprehensive at first because they were strangers to each other, but as the room started to fill up, you could hear laughter and those apprehensions started to disappear.
We had the Olympic opening ceremonies playing on TV; some people watched, other little groups started to form and private conversations took place in different corners of the room.
That night was also the 2nd Annual Night of Courage Block Party, a fundraiser for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. It was perfect since the block party started at 10 p.m. and we were scheduled to finish at 9 p.m. Many people started making plans and exchanging numbers to meet up later at one of the bars downtown.
As the evening went on, the delicious food was consumed and more amazing conversations were had. Slowly, people began to leave to go home and get ready for a night out on the town. A small group stayed behind and we sat around the table threw the Thumb Ball around, talked about exciting activities such as cross country RV roadtrips, pool parties, and potential actvities and ideas for future Localife Ottawa events.
It was a successful event. There was a great mix of people (new and alumni, younger and older) and some great connections were made by everyone. It’s not the activity that makes for a great event, it’s the people. We definitely have a fantastic group of young adult survivors and supporters here in Ottawa. We are already looking forward to when we can do it again and hope to meet even more young adults and their supporters! It’s time to start planning the next Localife Ottawa event…
Stay tuned.
-Brandon and Chris
