by Tom Sasvari
GORE BAY—To say that Ken and Carol Worsley don’t understand the true meaning of volunteering would be a huge understatement. The Gore Bay couple have been volunteering pretty much since they arrived in 2019.
Ms. Worsley was born and raised in Gore Bay and Mr. Worsley is originally from Toronto. She decided to come home to be closer to family and Mr. Worsley decided to move to Manitoulin Island with Ms. Worsley. “When we got here, we were approached by Bob and Joan Prior about taking over decorating the downtown area of Gore Bay for each season and special occasions during the year,” Mr. Worsley said.
“They said they wanted someone younger to take over,” added Ms. Worsley.
The Worsleys first took over decorating duties for Valentine’s Day that year and have hung decorations on trees and lamp posts that line the streets of town ever since. They have tied hearts for Valentine’s Day, Easter eggs and bunnies for Easter, repainted the decorations for Harbour Days, and have made wooden snowmen for the winter months, using scrap wood donated by Noble Lumber to bring their ideas to life.
“Putting up decorations in town is a small thing,” Ms. Worsley said. “It helps put a smile on people’s faces.”
The couple dresses up as Santa and Mrs. Claus for Christmas parades and to spread Christmas cheer at other seasonal get-togethers. “Our biggest one was in M’Chigeeng last Christmas, when they held a turkey dinner for the elders in the community,” said Ms. Worsley.
Mr. Worsley has also dressed up as the Easter bunny. His first gig was at the Easter egg hunt at Manitoulin Golf. “It was great,” he said.
Both Worsleys did a lot of volunteering prior to settling in Gore Bay. When she lived in Barrie, Ms. Worsley volunteered at Gilda’s Club, which offers a variety of programs and resources for people who have cancer or their families. She even skydived with three other people to raise funds for Gilda’s. “For one of the ladies it was the last thing on her bucket list. She died six months later,” said Ms. Worsley. “Would I ever skydive again? Never!”
Kids at Primrose Elementary (Shelby, Ontario) sold milk in a milk program, said Ms. Worsley. “I used to tell them that it’s important that they volunteer, that it would make them feel good and help someone else.”
She told those kids about her skydiving fundraiser for Gilda’s Club. Grade 8 students asked their teachers if they could use the school gym to have a dance. They donated money raised at the dance to Gilda’s Club. “They teacher had no idea what they were doing and what they were raising funds for,” Ms. Worsley said.
Ms. Worsley once walked up the CN Tower in Toronto to raise funds for the World Wildlife Federation. “There are 144 floors and it took me 55 minutes,” she said. “My legs were like rubber when I was done.”
Mr. Worsley also volunteered in Barrie, in the Red Cross volunteer program, pushing wheelchair patients in a hospital, and picked up garbage on Highway 400 twice a year with a church group.
Both Worsleys were regular blood donors, prior to COVID. (Yes, they once donated blood as Santa and Mrs. Claus).
The COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on a lot of usual activities for the couple. “We could only do parades as Santa and Ms. Claus for two years,” said Mr. Worsley.
“People really appreciate what you are doing (when you volunteer),” Mr. Worsley said.
“It brightens the community,” added Ms. Worsley. “Volunteering is something that everyone should do. Everyone should give back to their community.”
