To many children, Bonnie Clark may have seemed like Santa Claus.
She would give out gifts to the children in the Pacifica Housing complex in Victoria in which she lived in for roughly a decade B次元官网网址� and any other children she knew B次元官网网址� for their birthdays or Christmas.
Though she didnB次元官网网址檛 have a lot of money, she would go to a dollar store and purchase books, jewelry boxes or knick knacks with inspirational sayings.
Each wrapped present was marked indicating whether it was for a boy or girl.
B次元官网网址淎ll the kids in her complex that she lived in, she always made sure they got one,B次元官网网址� said Langford resident Pat Kennedy. He was a long-time friend of Clark, who passed away in September, four months shy of her 51st birthday.
To honour her legacy, Kennedy and some of ClarkB次元官网网址檚 other friends raised more than $2,000 toward the construction of a new $10,000 playground and memorial bench in the housing complex. The current playground is 25 years old.
B次元官网网址淲e really share a lot of the values that Bonnie has in terms of caring for children. WeB次元官网网址檙e also incredibly inspired by the kindness that she touched peopleB次元官网网址檚 lives with,B次元官网网址� said Sacha Sauv茅, manager of fund development with Pacifica Housing, who will be installing the playground.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not every day that you lose someone and people come to your door and want to put a bench in their name. It was such a touching and inspiring gesture and we wanted to carry that.B次元官网网址�
Kennedy recalled Clark as a B次元官网网址済reat personB次元官网网址� who loved kids. B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檇 do anything for everybody and sheB次元官网网址檇 go out of her way to help anybody.B次元官网网址�
The two met 35 years ago, when Kennedy and a friend were walking down the street and came across Clark and a friend. B次元官网网址淲e were thinking about going to a bluegrass festival, so we invited them to come with us,B次元官网网址� he said, laughing. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been good friends ever since.B次元官网网址�
The random act sparked a long friendship and over the years, they would get together for birthdays, Christmas and Thanksgiving, when Bonnie would show up B次元官网网址� presents in hand. They also attended bluegrass festivals and concerts together.
Kennedy was there for the rough times in ClarkB次元官网网址檚 life as well.
When she was 25, she was involved in a physical altercation with her then-boyfriend Ernest Dixon in their home in Sechelt. She wound up breaking her neck and was rendered quadriplegic. Dixon was acquitted on the charge of aggravated assault and convicted of common assault.
Being in a wheelchair never slowed Clark down, recalled Kennedy. She worked as an advocate for people who were newly paralyzed or victims of assault and helped victim services with counselling for years.
Pacifica Housing intends to consult with ClarkB次元官网网址檚 friends and residents of the housing complex to see what they would like to see in a playground. It hopes to have the project complete by the end of the summer.
To make a donation to the legacy project, visit pacificahousing.ca/donate-today.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
