(Pictured at right: Terry Simzer, chairman of the UCDSB Main Office United Way Campaign, is shown with artist Barbara Simpson and her painting View from St. Lawrence Park.)

(Brockville) – A local artist known for her acrylic landscapes helped add an artistic flair to the annual Upper Canada District School Board United Way Campaign.

Two donations from Brockville artist Barbara Simpson, including an original painting called View from St. Lawrence Park and a picturesque photo of flowers in bloom at Courthouse Square, fetched more than $500 at a recent silent auction at the board’s main office. The auction, along with other events held during a week-long fundraising campaign run by staff at the Board’s main office, helped the UCDSB generate $11,500 for the four United Way chapters in Leeds-Grenville, Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, Prescott-Russell and Lanark.

Simpson was pleased to donate to the auction, realizing the many good causes United Way supports.

“I’m a regular donor to the United Way both through my art and personally because most of the money raised goes to support children,” explained Simpson.  “Though I don’t have any of my own I really love children.  They’re our future.”

The United Way, through its many sponsored agencies, supports one in four children in the communities served by the Upper Canada District School Board.

View from St. Lawrence Park was auctioned off for $420.  The painting features a perspective of the waterfront at the park from the rocky cliffs above showing the majestic St. Lawrence in the distance. Simpson’s photo shows beautiful flowers in bloom in the gardens before the fountain at Courthouse Green. The Brockville artist’s work is part of collections in Colorado, Mexico, Aberdeen and Rotterdam.  Her paintings are currently being exhibited in Calgary and Vancouver Island.

The silent auction was part of the annual United Way fundraising campaign organized by main office staff.  Other events in the campaign, which ran from October 22-26, included: a boardwide raffle on a $3,500 travel voucher;  the Hockey Day in Upper Canada tailgate party, UCDSB Grand Prix chair race,  indoor golf tournament, and a pumpkin-carving contest showcasing a range of themes from hockey to Cinderella.

The main office campaign kicked off October 22 with a United Way breakfast to get people excited about the campaign to come.

Dozens of people participated in the UCDSB Indoor Golf Tournament and Longest Putt Contest on October 23, raising $500 in the process.  Duffer Shawn Dooley of the Purchasing Department shot a 30 narrowly edging out Human Resources Officer Robb Bowman at 31 to win bragging rights for the next year.

Valerie Brown of the Human Resources department took top honours in the Crazy Fan Contest October 24 during the Hockey Day in Upper Canada tailgate party.  Brown’s “HABurglar” costume – a nod to The Montreal Canadiens – narrowly edged out co-worker Raena McMullen’s Crazy Cowboy Senator’s fan.

Brown’s artistic talent shined through again during the pumpkin-carving contest October 26 when her “HABurglar pumpkin” won the prize for most artistic entry.

Employees of the Upper Canada District School Board will be making additional donations to the United Way through payroll deductions.