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Planning, preparation and lots of people helping are the necessary ingredients to ensure any event is successful. Having an incredible guest speaker like Carol Ann Cole is certainly the icing on the cake! Thursday April 24th was such a day for members of the Central Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce (CAVCoC). The day started early for Steve Keeling (Classic Hearth and Leisure – incoming President) and Charlene Rowlandson (The Aurora Newspaper – Function Planning Chairperson) as they had the pleasure of escorting Carol Ann to Middleton Regional High School (thanks to Bruce Chev Olds for the loan of a van!). At MRHS Carol Ann was able to speak to students from grades 10 – 12 about her life experiences – including her diagnoses of breast cancer 11 years ago and the changes it made in her life. She was thrilled to be back in her old school (apparently she graduated 39 years ago from MRHS as a very smart 6-year-old!) The next stop of the day was lunch at the Mid-Valley Hotel where the group was joined by Roy Keast (Chapel Creek Gallery & Picture Framing – outgoing President) and Tim Jansen (Apple Pie Pottery – incoming Secretary). Everyone thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Carol Ann, her endeavours with the Comfort Heart initiative and her success at fundraising well over a million dollars for Cancer Research. Tim remained with the group as it headed for Middleton Town Hall. There awaited Karl Armstrong (Economic Development Officer for Middleton) and Suzanne Wagner (Editor Monitor-Examiner). Karl presented Carol Ann with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a tour of Town Hall followed. There was much discussion about Carol Ann’s 1st book "Comfort Heart – A Memoir" and even some talk about the next one she is hoping to publish. Then it was time for some local sightseeing and reminiscing… a visit to Riverside Park… a drive through Wilmot (Carol Ann was full of stories about that 2 room school house!)… then on to a small reception at Chapel Creek Art Gallery. The afternoon ended with an impromptu visit with Margaret Jansen at Apple Pie Pottery. Little did Carol Ann know that the pieces she was admiring that afternoon would be her thank-you gift that night! The evening event was the reason for Carol Ann’s presence in the area. It was time again for the CAVCoC to hold the Annual General Meeting and Dinner. As a local woman who has done so well in her life, Carol Ann is an inspiration to all. Her final position at Bell Canada (before early retirement) was as the first female Vice President in a non-traditional role. She now has a business as a professional speaker. Her awards are numerous and she wears the lovely small pin that signifies her as a recipient of the Order of Canada. She also recently received the Queen’s Jubilee medal. Her speech on April 24th touched the hearts of all who were there, especially when she started off with the moving poem "The Dash". You can read this poem on her website (www.carolanncole.com) and it is certainly worth your time. You can also find out many other amazing things about this amazing woman. Many listeners took advantage of the opportunity to purchase Carol Ann’s book after her speech and were able to have it personally autographed. As a special touch from Carol Ann, she handed out book marks that her former employer (Bell Canada) had made for her book launch. These book marks had a pewter Comfort Heart attached to them and many who received them have already passed them on to someone special in their lives who needs a little extra ‘comfort’ at this time. The CAVCoC was very fortunate to have her at this event and should mention that it would not have been possible without the help of four local business sponsors (CIBC, Canadian Tire, Classic Hearth and Leisure and Valley Drug Mart/Pharmasave).
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