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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, November 27, 2013 | 8 Women team up to help local kids access opportunities by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Two Oakville women took it upon themselves to support two organizations and provide opportunities and support for needy children. Trudy Hart and Alix Scott co-founded A Night Out for the Kids in Oakville, which held its inaugural fundraiser Nov. 20 at the King's Arms Pub. It benefitted both the Angel Scholarship Fund at Canadian Martial Arts Centre, which allows youths to participate in a 12-week martial arts program and kids day camps, and Safetynet, Children and Youth Charities, which serves 1,300 local families by providing a clothing and emergency food bank, counselling, afterschool tutoring and music lessons for school-aged children. "We raised a lot of awareness about poverty in Oakville with 80 people attending the event and raising approximately $6,000 for the cause... We have been overwhelmed by the support and generous spirit of local businesses and residents of this amazing town who share our vision," said Scott, a mother of four and resident of 20 years. Hart, who also calls Oakville home, is a middle school teacher and mother of three. The pair is no stranger to volunteering both at their children's schools and in the community. "In our daily lives, in Oakville, we have seen that poverty exists in our community -- sometimes not always visible at first," Scott said. She references the Oakville Community Foundation's (OCF) 2011 Vital Signs Report, which showed the poverty rate in Oakville rose 22.3 per cent between 2001 and 2009, from 11.8 per cent and 14.4 per cent, respectively -- the findings are based on a low-income measure (LIM), which is an indicator of relative poverty. That's why Hart and Scott created the A Night Out for the Kids in Oakville initiative. "We saw an opportunity to create an event that would support children and families who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in afterschool tutoring, music lessons and athletic-based martial arts," said Scott. "We want to make a difference... and help break the cycle of poverty or what is oftentimes called `generational poverty.' "Access to education, music lessons, mentoring, and physical activity and programs is something we believe can make an important difference in children's and families' lives and help conquer generational poverty." 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This launch is the start of several months of community engagement. Our expert panel will discuss how the town can build a community that embraces culture and supports and encourages all of us to make a difference in our town and in each other's lives. Join us to find out more and share your ideas with us! RSVP to: 905-845-6601, ext. 7529 or boxoffice@oakville.ca n