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Tuesday July 21 2015 15 NORTHERNERS VOLUNTEERS Rosalind Dorothy Russell Gordon age 71 of Devon AB passed away peacefully on July 16 2015. She was surrounded by her loving family and in deepest sorrow they gave her kisses and hugs and told her how much she was so greatly loved. RosalindRozzwasbornonNovember 24 1943 and raised in Fort Smith NWT. Rozz was always very athletic. She played fastball basketball and curling. The love of curling was her passion. She traveled across Canada to various Brier tournaments. In 1961 Rozz married the love of her life Alex Gordon from Caslan AB. They settled in the Northwest Territo- ries serving communities along the MacKenzie the High Arctic and Eastern Arctic. Rozz and Alex raised four children Bill Wendy Alex and Scott. In 1977 they moved to Fort McMurray where they lived for 18 years and Rozz worked in the Catholic Schools. Rozz and Alex retired to Nanton AB in 1995 and then on to Devon AB where they have resided for the past 14 years. Rozz was a devoted and loving wife mother and grandmother. She loved family get-togethers and holidays with many family and friends around the dining table. She spent hours preparing the most wonderful meals and baking for her family. Rozz took joy in baking pies and other special goodies for her grandchildren to their particular tastes. Rozz was so welcoming to everyone that visited her. She was known for her amazing sense of humor for caring deeply for others for cultivating lifelong friendships and giving selflessly to her family and friends. And she loved to laugh Rozz is survived by her loving husband Alex her four children Bill Gordon Wendy Colin Anderson Gordon Alex Gordon Scott Angie Gordon her brother Jack Russell her sisters Stella Buck Dahl Ann Gary Lobb Rosalind Gordon her grandchildren Meghan Logan Gregory Conner and Reece. She also leaves behind numerous loving relatives and friends. Rozz was prede- ceased by her parents Bill and Bertha Russell and her sisters Mona Jones and Norma Little. Everyone is welcome to attend the Memorial Service for the Celebration of Rozzs Life to be held on Saturday July 25 2015 at 1100 a.m. at the St. Maria Goretti Catholic Parish 8 St. Clair Street Devon AB. Donations in Rozzs memory may be made to the Stollery Childrens Hospi- tal Foundation 8440 112 Street NW Edmonton AB T6G 9Z9 or the San- dra Schmirler Foundation 18 Burn- dale Road Ottawa ON K1B 3Y5 or a charity of your choice. Condolences www.serenity.ca Serenity Funeral Service Leduc 780 980-3688 Off-season elf holds Christmas in July for homeless By DALI CARMICHAEL For the third year running one of Santas busiest elves is delivering presents to Yel- lowknifes homeless population through a Christmas in July donation drive. Over the past several months Yellowknife resident Renee Sanderson has been collect- ing monetary and clothing donations from people across the NWT and northern Al- berta. On July 25 she and a handful of fel- low volunteers will stand outside Safe Har- bour Day Shelter handing out gifts to those who need them most. Her goal this year is to hand out 200 goody bags as she calls them stuffed with hotel- sized toiletries feminine hygiene products snacks and clothes. Last year she donated 178 packages up from 73 during the rst year of the operation. Its only this time around that Sanderson started collecting clothing for the cause after receiving a request made from shelter staff who say it is one of the harder items for Yel- lowknifes homeless to access. Throughout the year Ive been collecting clothes shoes backpacks stuff like that she said. Were kind of a little bigger than last year. Were getting more sponsorship from more companies. The majority of non-edible products were donated by regional organizations and businesses including Yellowknife Mo- tors Glens Independent Grocer Wal-Mart and Adam Dental Clinic among others. Additionally individually packaged food was purchased using almost 800 in do- nations Sanderson collected through a Go Fund Me page. Learning to be compassionate It was a mix of her parents compassion and her own experiences that inspired Sand- erson to start the Yellowknife Christmas in July three years ago. I was raised by two very generous parents who - still to this day - have an open door policy when it comes to helping family and friends she said. Having gone through my own trauma in my life it has made me more empathetic to what one can go through. Its especially harder if they have no support systems in place or if they have exhausted all their support avenues. The people on the streets have been so disenfranchised and poverty stricken that we need to remember that they are still human and we need to show them more compassion understand- ing and respect. Its a lot of work but when Sanderson - nally gets to play Santa and distribute the packages the reactions she gets makes her efforts worthwhile. To be able to share that moment with them and see the excitement on their faces when they receive a goody bag is just a fantastic feeling Sanderson said. If people would just give a bit of their heart rather than a piece of their mind what a better place we would be living in. To those considering ways to give back to their own communities Sanderson says to think realistically about projects that can be completed locally. A quote that resonates with me is I always wondered why somebody didnt do something about that and then I realized I am some- body Sanderson said. You dont need to be rich or famous to help make a difference in your community. I really enjoy doing this every year but if we can come together and make this an event where businesses and organizations commit to supporting it an- nually we could accomplish so much more. Sandersons charitable spirit isnt only pres- ent in the holiday off-season. She encourages her fellow employees to participate in an- nual fundraisers as well like the Movember movement for mens health and the Canadian Cancer Societys Relay for Life. Giving out goody bags to the homeless in July is just the beginning she said. To donate or to learn more about how help with Christmas in July head to httpwww. gofundme.comrsx5t8. Over 170 goody bags stocked with food and toiletries were handed out to Yellowknifes homeless at Christmas in July 2014. This year volunteer Renee Sanderson is aiming for 200. PhotoReneeSanderson