EVANSVILLE—Volunteering and helping in the community is something that was ingrained early in Art Hayden’s life. “When I think about it I’ve been volunteering much of my life,” Mr. Hayden told the Recorder. “I was raised on Manitoulin Island and even though at the time, when I was young, I might not have thought that I was volunteering, I was. As well, all know in small communities everyone helps out family, friends and neighbours in getting things done in the community.”
It was after he left the Island and was working in Sudbury, and he and his wife Cora had children, “that my more familiar volunteering work came out. With two girls in school both Cora and I took part in the parents-teachers groups and activities and helped to organized events and help out more in the community,” he said. “We both were members of the Community Playground Association in Walden and helped maintain the playground and flood the ice in the winter for skating. There was also a community centre in the community where we lived and we were among a group of that volunteered at the centre. Every few weeks it was your turn to look after things.”
“Then, when our two girls got involved in sports, I volunteered to coach in the Walden Minor Soccer Association, which I ended up doing for a number of years and served as the secretary for the association as well. It was a really good program and we had kids from all over join. It was very rewarding working with the kids.”
While living in Walden Mr. Hayden volunteered as an instructor on the Canadian Power Squad Safe Boating Instruction program. “I had the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life in this program.”
Mr. Hayden continued his volunteer work even after his two daughters had grown up. “I volunteered with the Canadian Cancer Society, mostly assisting Cora.”
In 2010 Art and Cora returned to Manitoulin Island to retire. “We moved here and built a place here. Part of our retirement strategy was to get back in the community and help out in Burpee-Mills. First of all I got involved on a committee of council, the recreation committee, taking over as chair in 2011 and I have remained in this position ever since,” he said. “This group puts on a lot of fundraising activities such as breakfasts, dinner and dances with the money raised going back into the community with donations to other groups.”
“We also have a program in Burpee-Mills where we provide assistance to youth in the community who are involved in sports, music and other activities that helps to benefit their ability to be leaders. Our youth are going to be the leaders in the next generation. We like to do things that will help them learn and get ready to take over this leadership role.”
“Throughout the community we have a large number of volunteers participating. By volunteering in the community it provides me the opportunity to interact with a lot of dedicated, hard working people who work behind the scenes who make things work and help out in our community. They represent volunteers throughout every organization and they never say no when an event is planned,” said Mr. Hayden. “Our community is well known for its volunteers as we have seen over and over. For instance one of our local groups is the Burpee-Mills Golden Age club which puts on for instance lunches at funerals and other events.”
Mr. Hayden served a couple of years on the Manitoulin Snowdusters Snowmobile Club. Inc. on the board of what he rightly refers to as a, “dedicated hardworking group. I had to give this up when I got elected for the municipal council as I found I had too much on the go.”
He is a member of the “Family Tradition” band, which recently helped out by providing music at a Charles C. McLean Grade 8 fundraising dinner-dance, held to raise money for the Grade 8 graduating class trip at the end of the school year. “This is a group effort and a good cause, we don’t mind giving our time for something like this when we can.” Mr. Hayden is also a trustee with the Elizabeth Bay Community Church, helping out in keeping the grounds maintained. He notes that a lot of this work is carried out by Molly Ainslie, along with several people that take part in snow removal in the winter.
“I am close to finishing my first term on municipal council,” said Mr. Hayden. “It has been a learning experience for me and I get to work with people on council who are very dedicated and hard working. We have a very cohesive group on council who work together to try and do the best we can for the community.”
Mr. Hayden said, “I would encourage anyone who is interested in volunteering to give it a shot. Once you get started you will find it energizes you and you help out to provide services that are needed in the community. Volunteering is the fabric of the community.”
“As I mentioned at the start when you think about it, we were raised with the concept of helping out wherever we can and when there is a need,” said Mr. Hayden. “I didn’t fully grasp this when I was young but I have learned this in time in a more formal way. You do what you can to help out. That is what volunteering is all about.”
