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MEDIA ADVISORY - For Immediate Release Wednesday, June 4, 2008

     Camp Trillium receives $1,000,000 gift from the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of Ontario to purchase Garratt’s Island Camp Trillium is celebrating today with the purchase of Camp Trillium Garratt’s Island. Camp Trillium has operated programs and maintained the island for 18 years and now is the new owner thanks to the landmark gift made to the charity by the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of Ontario. “This is an incredible gift. Garratt’s Island has been home to Camp Trillium for 18 years and now we know that we will be there forever. Our relationship with the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs has grown over the years. From their first donation 25 years ago they have always been there to support Camp Trillium in their time of need.” Marci Shea-Perry, Executive Director of Camp Trillium. Garratt’s Island will now be known as Camp Trillium Odd Fellow and Rebekah Island in honour of this gift. It will be shortened to OuR Island for daily use. Camp Trillium is looking to raise another $700,000 to upgrade the island. Starting this year Camp Trillium will be extending programming on the island and making full use of it 9 months of the year. On Saturday, June 21st, 2008 Friends of Camp Trillium and the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs are invited to celebrate with former campers, staff and volunteers at OuR Island. Celebrations begin at 10 a.m. and run to 2 p.m. A BBQ and an opportunity to tour the camp highlight the day. Camp Trillium is a not for profit organization that operates 54 programs year round. These programs are run at no cost to the participant. For children with cancer Camp Trillium provides an opportunity to enjoy the fun and friendship of camping through day, residential and family camps and clinic programs. It is a chance for children to get away from this terrible disease and share their unique skills with friends who understand. Trillium’s philosophy is to provide programs for all. Turning children away is not an option. We grow with our population and the challenge is always to meet the funding needs. Celebrating the purchase of Garratt’s Island… Camp Trillium and the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of Ontario.

For more information on the purchase of the island, the innovative programs of Camp Trillium and OuR Island Open House please contact:

Fiona Fisher, Camp Trillium, Communications (416) 416-413-0968

The Grand lodge of Ontario, Independent Order of Odd Fellows is located at 157 Frederick Street, Stratford, Ontario and the contact information is as follows:

John Nichols, Grand Secretary - 519 273-8088.
Bob Schwalm, Grand Treasurer - 519 273-8088.

International Links

     A few members and visitors to our site have requested that we put up an International Links page. So now we have added one. Over the next little while, we will be adding more and more links as we come across them. If you know of a link and it is not listed on our site, email to me and I will add it right away.

Privacy Statement / Terms of Use

     As some of you have now noticed, our Privacy Statement/ Terms of Use page is gone. It has been moved to a link on the bottom of every page throughout this website. We would ask that you take the time to read it and make sure you agree with it. If you have trouble finding it or understanding it, please email us and we will assist you.

     We are in the middle of adding a new feature called 'Odd Fellow Webmail'. This is going to be a link for people who have an email address through the Odd Fellows (anybody that has an  -  @ioof.net email address). To help this pilot project be successful, I am looking for 2 or 3 lodge Secretary's or Noble Grand's to help me out by getting an '@ioof.net' email address for their home Lodge and test it out with myself and I will have The Grand Lodge of Ontario send you stuff to see if this is a feature worth looking into. If you are interested, let me know and I will give you more details about it. --> Email the Webmaster

     To take part in the Pilot Project, you will need a few items to use at your own expense.

• A computer with an internet connection (High Speed Recommended, but Dial-Up will work)

• The software you will need is follows: Adobe Acrobat Reader (free from the Internet), and either Microsoft Word or WordPerfect (both word processing programs may be purchased through a computer or electronics store) and Microsoft FrontPage if you wish your Lodge to have a free website through the Grand Lodge of Ontario (Somebody in your Lodge must have a basic understanding of FrontPage and how-to upload your website)

• A Printer to print off emails, documents, etc that you may receive through this project

• MOST IMPORTANT THING - Patience with this project. You have to remember that you are going to be one of the first groups to be testing this project out and you will be working with myself and the Grand Secretary to find all bugs in the system and correct them