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They come mth little more than the clothes ml their backs. 1hex are orphans at from poor fam- HIPS In Belarus, an Eastern European k nunm mil siutfcriny, the devastating wnscqucnwx of the Chernolovt mu Ivar (Master. What they it“ have m common min-n they :lrrnc here for six weeks curl) xumnler IS (he need for clean air and must. medical and dental atten- mm and nutritious food. 'a'l‘his prograim provides hope for Iliese kids that there is another way to lite," said Michael Kaye. the former vice-president of Canadian Friends of Chernobyl's Children. a local group whose members host children from the radiation-contaminated area of Belarus each summer. The group first started in Britain and spread across the world after the April 1986 explosion at a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, that released radiation into the atmosphere. Even though the children who visit this area each year through Canadian Friends of Chernobyl's Children were born after the nuclear disaster, they are affected by the radioactive soil. That day, the winds were blbwing north, so much of the radiation blew into neighbouring Belarus. Local families give Belarusian kids a reprieve from their hard lives "They eat food that has radiation in it. lhey can't drink milk, and if they do it's radiated as well because the cows eat the grass." Kaye said. But bringing them to Canada and other countries for a reprieve does make a difference. he said. 'mitiully, many of the kids suffered from radiation sickness. And if they fell off a bike, it took their wounds a long time to heal. much longer than for chil- dren from here. Namr kids had respira- tor) prulslems and frequent nose blccds. In Belarus, there are high instances of leukemia and childhood cancers, especially of the thyroid. Years ago members of the local group became familiar with the "Belarusian necklace" -- scars on many of the children's necks from having their thyrolds removed. "Rm ips we hinge the kids year after um, they are stronger and they don't hm 9 some of these problems," he said. "We don't see that as much these By Dawn“: ORMSI‘UN t hronichr Muff of Runners . . . Not Just End Rolls _ . " . Carpet . Berbers . laminate . Ceramic . Hardwood so Victoria Street N., Kitchener 0 519-570-2722 'uMtriS11t ttii Canada's largest retail flooring chain'. " The Vrubleuskaya sisters from Belarus stay with the Brown family of Waterloo for six weeks each summer. From left to right, Allison Brown, Jana Vrubleuskaya, Emily Brown, Ashley Gallant, a family friend, and Kristina Vrubleuskaya enjoy a meal together in 2007. days, but we do see things like birth defects in some of the kids. not all," Kaye said. "I don't want to paint them out as sickly kids. They get screened before they come so the kids we get are pretty stable." Host families are asked to take the children to see a doctor, dentist and optometrist. They don't have insur- ance, but many health-care profession- als are willing to donate their services. Most of the children have soft teeth. thanks to the radiation, which leads to lots of cavities. Meanwhile, dental practices in Belarus are quite primitive. In 2005, the Brown family of Water- loo brought over IO-year-old Jana for the first time. She had at least six cavi- ties filled that summer. And it was a similar story when she returned the following year with her older sister, Kristina, "Dental care in Belarus, for the most part, is by emergency only," said Bruce Brown, who hosts the girls with his wife, Cathy, and their two daughters. "lf you're in a lot of pain, you go to the "They eat food that has radiation in it..." - Michael Kaye Member of Canadian Friends of Clrernobyl's Children LIFESTYLE The children's first language is Russ- ian, although they've learned some English at school. Their English was rough when they first came to Canada: however, Bruce said it's amazing to see how quickly they pick it up. In lana's case, the young girl also needed glasses. So the Browns bought her a pair, and update her prescription each summer. dentist. If you're not, you stay away." As well, she was diagnosed with sig- nificant hearing loss. Coincidentally, Bruce works at Unitron Hearing, and they had her fitted for a pair of hearing aids - something her family could never afford. "There's no way to actually diagnose the cause of it, but you kind of wonder. They're living in a radioactive waste- dump and nobody really knows the impact," he said. "rth, cah sei, it in webks," he said. "By the end of the summer they're speaking Egglish mush letter.. _ _ - "in Jie fist couple of weeks there's lots of hand signals and gestures, but .._ that part Tally goes away," - As well, they quickly adjust to the privileges westerners enjoy, including playing video games and choosing from more than 100 channels on the television. In the past, Canadian Friends of Chernobyi's Children has brought over as many as 40 kids in a summer, and as The Area's URGES? Selection Continued on pop " SUBMITTED PHOTO The Up [bwn Waterloo Ice Dogs Festival is on Feb. 16. from ll am. to 3 p.m.. in uptown Waterloo. It's an exciting winter event centered around dogs. There will be dog-sled rides. photos with mal- amute and husky puppies. children's activities, ice carvings, an ice maze, a pet-look-alike contest (reg- ister at the Ice Bar) and more. All the festivities will be held in three locations, all within a two-minute walk, at the Regina Street parking lot (at Regina Street and Willis Way), the Atrium at Waterloo City Hall and the Waterloo Com- munity Arts Centre (across from the Regina Street lot). Come for fresh air and fun in the winter with your family, including your furry canine family members. The festival is free. All activities are included in the day with the exception of the photos with pup- pies, food or beverages. There is a $5 charge per photo. - For further information on this event. please contact Patti Brooks at 519-885-1921 or uptown- bia@waterloo.ca. or go to www.icedogsfestivalwater- loo.ca. Parents For Children's Mental Health - Waterloo Region invites you to attend a moving and inspi- rational speech entitled The Quilt of Honour. to be given during a public meeting of the board's special education advisory committee on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. It will be held id the board room of the Education Centre, at 51 Arden Ave., Kitchener. Valentine's Day dance will be held on Feb. 16 at 8 A),?,? at the Waterloo Community Arts Centre. Bachata class begins at 8:15 pm. Dance tango, salsa and Latin ballroom until midnight. The cost is $10 at the door. Registration and a dance partner are not required. _ A For this yea} only, the school year will be shon- ened to accommodate this new statutory holiday. All professional activity days will go on as planned. The" Waterloo Community Arts Centre is in the Button Factory. at 25 Regina St. S. All Waterloo Region District School Board schools will be closed on Feb. 18 for Family Day. The committee of the whole meeting scheduled for that evening has been cancelled. Dance at Button Factory Ice Dogs winter festival comes to uptown Waterloo this weekend Health speech tonight No schdol on Monday WAI'LRIAR) CHRONICLE *Wedncsday, February 13, 2008 . " cati7