A tasty strawberry sundae and meeting some Olympians highlighted the August street market in Oak Bay.
“Our company charity that we support is Special Olympics and we support that all over north America. For the Oak Bay shop we’re supporting our local Victoria branch,” says Cassie Kangas, realtor with Engel & Volkers.
“It’s so nice to have them here and be part of the community. And they love coming out and seeing the people and showing off their hardware. It’s great.”
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The tradition of ice cream sundaes by donation to Special Olympics continues for the final market Sept. 12 from 4 to 8 p.m. on Oak Bay Avenue.
“It’s a really good community cause,” Kangas says. “Special Olympics is such an amazing project that we want to make sure that everyone is aware that it exists and help all the athletes who work so hard to participate.”
Athletes included Michael Langridge of Victoria. An accomplished athlete dedicated to elevating his performance and achieving new personal bests, he received SOBC’s 2018 Athletic Achievement Award.
Langridge takes part in alpine skiing, floor hockey and soccer – though the downhill skiing is a favourite.
“It’s the love of my life since I was about two,” he says.
SOBC helps keep him active and fit, and when he moved to Greater Victoria in 2006, was a great way to meet new people.
He also boasts a lot of hardware. Last year he attended the 2016 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, earning the spot on the team by winning three gold medals at the 2015 SOBC Winter Games in Kamloops, one of his favourite Special Olympics experiences. He brought home two gold medals from the Special Olympics 2017 World Games in Austria.
The night market was just one of his many speaking gigs in Greater Victoria.
“It’s really good,” Langridge says. “I do public speaking at Kia … and Stop the R Word and I did a couple others, just to get it under my belt and be more active in community.”
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The Avenue transforms for the final market of the 2018 season on Sept. 12 from 4 to 8 p.m.
A wide range of fresh and local produce and food is available. Artists and artisans showcase a variety of wares including wood turned bowls, hand made greeting cards, glass art, paper casting, fabric arts, jewelry, toys, fresh made soaps and cosmetics and preserves. The stores of Oak Bay merchants are open with special pricing, tastings, demos, sampling and more. Each market also offers local music, a magician, face painting and balloon animals.
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