English
French
The Children’s Heart Network (CHN) recently hosted a fun outing for some of the teenagers in their program. The weather held out the rain just enough for them to be able to have a great time at the WildPlay treetop adventure venue in Maple Ridge BC.
Our team at Mylens.ca prepared healthy lunch boxes filled with a yummy sandwich, allergen-free snacks and refreshments for each of the teens who bravely participated in the WildPlay event (disclaimer: some of our team members probably wouldn’t be as brave, you know who you are). Due to covid, This was one of the first opportunities for our team to finally meet some of the kids involved and also Kristi Coldwell, the Heart of Gold coordinator at CHN.
Understandably, the past 1.5 years has been quite challenging for everyone involved in the program. Under normal circumstances (pre-pandemic), there would be a number of opportunities for the families and kids to have a fun get together, share their stories, lend support to one another or just to have a cup of coffee. Samantha Aitken (the Provincial Coordinator at CHN) told us that they’ve had to transition all of their in-person events to virtual sessions, and while the families and kids involved have done great, we're sure it was exciting to be able to attend an event together in-person!
2 family camps were also supposed to take place during the same weekend, which they do on a yearly basis. But unfortunately due to covid concerns, they had to be cancelled, which was quite disappointing for the families. The camps give the families an opportunity to have a weekend full of fun activities (archery, rock climbing and campfires, just to name a few), their own cabin, and ample opportunities to connect/share with other families and get to know each other! Needless to say it was quite unfortunate they ultimately decided on cancelling the camp, but the health and safety of these families and everyone involved is most important!
In coordination with CHN’s program coordinator, we decided on sending each family a fun-at-home activity kit that contains some games, crafts and yummy smores packages! It’s not quite the same as an in-person camp experience with other families but we hope the families can have a blast at home in a safe way. We are all hoping that next year they will all be able to participate in the family camps like they used to.
At Mylens.ca, we believe we are more than just another contact lens and eyewear retailer. Our goal is to be difference makers in our community, actively supporting and giving back towards families dealing with congenital heart disease and mental illness. As part of our commitment to support the Children’s Heart Network and the great work they are doing in supporting families impacted by congenital heart disease, we are proud to work together with them and continually sponsor more events in the future!
Click here to learn more about our commitment to giving back to our community.
