On Saturday, May 13, North Grenville residents will be in for a treat. A pre-pandemic tradition is being revived – the Kemptville Youth Centre’s “Mother’s Day Celebrity Breakfast” will be sure to satisfy weekend breakfast cravings, all while providing an opportunity to spend time with mom. Celebrity servers this year will include MPP Steve Clark, Deputy Mayor John Barclay, and Merrickville-Wolford Mayor, Michael Cameron.
Bruce Wehlau of the Kemptville Youth Centre briefly explained the history of the Celebrity Breakfast to the Times. “It used to be done annually, but we last did it in 2019,” said Bruce. He explained that the ladies of Kemptville Christian Reformed Church do all the cooking, and the volunteers (including the celebrities) just have to serve it. The Church also provides the facility for the event.
Bruce describes the Breakfast as a “fairly low key event”, explaining that it typically draws in between 100-200 patrons.
In addition to the celebrity servers, some representatives from local sponsor businesses are also invited to come along and serve, making the event a true community collaboration.
One of the benefits of the Breakfast event is that the KYC can decide what the funds raised will be used for. This year, a focus for the funds will be in providing more mental health services for local youth. Bruce pointed out that this ties in nicely with last week’s Mental Health Week, marked both locally and across the country. United Way, which provides financial support to KYC, has been encouraging the organization to help increase local mental health awareness lately. The KYC has therefore been working to connect youth with services such as Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The Kemptville Youth Centre has been operating as a drop-in centre for almost three decades. It is open for any youth aged 12-18 who want to stop by. Programs offered by the KYC include cooking, sports, homework help, fitness programs funded by the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program, and more.
To show your support for the KYC, and have a great breakfast at the same time, stop by the Kemptville Christian Reformed Church (2455 County Road 18, Kemptville) on May 13. Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $10 for adults, $5 for youth under 14, and free for children under 5.
