Williams Lake Royal Purple received a visit from the Canadian Royal Purple Society’s (CRP) national president, Lynda Nolan, on Feb. 15.
Local Royal Purple members gathered at the Seniors Activity Centre for lunch, along with Mayor Surinderpal Rathor, Nolan and Prince George member Mildred Green.
The local Royal Purple group comprises dedicated volunteers who support youth and the community, providing financial support for BGC Williams Lake, the Williams Lake Rotary Starfish program, the Child Development Centre, School District 27 Bursaries, 4-H and more. They’ve also helped out with the Children’s Festival and Bike Rodeo and for the last two years, have partnered with the Women’s Contact Society.
Nationally, the focus of CRP is brain injury prevention and awareness, with Royal Purple members raising awareness about the correlation between interpersonal violence and brain injuries. CRP reported one in eight women in Canada has suffered a brain injury due to interpersonal violence, with many of them and their children seeking refuge in shelters. CRP delivered nearly 3,000 care bags to shelters nationwide on Purple Thursday (the third Thursday in October) in 2023. Williams Lake’s Royal Purple donated 45 care bags to the local women’s shelter.
Nolan said at the Thursday meeting that she was “ecstatic about the future” and was excited to hear more about what Williams Lake’s Royal Purple group is doing. The meeting discussed past and future fundraising events, as well as other opportunities to raise awareness about CRP and gain local members. Coming up, they’re planning a 50-50 raffle in support of Sport BC, They’ll also be participating in the Children’s Festival and Bike Rodeo again this year.
Mayor Rathor said he was honoured to welcome the national president to Williams Lake and thanked local president Arnie Zimmerman, noting that together we can make a difference.
At the end of the meeting, Doucette was installed as secretary and treasurer at Williams Lake.
Those wishing to donate to Royal Purple can email wlrp126treasurer@gmail.com. Find the group on Facebook at Williams Lake Royal Purple or their website, www.canadianroyalpurplesociety.org.
Meetings are held monthly on the third Thursday at noon at the Seniors Activity Centre, where people are invited to attend if they are interested in joining and can learn more.