Nocturnal Knit-A-Thon fundraiser slated for The Pegasus Shoppe on Kingston Road this weekend

By JOSH TUDELA

The Pegasus Shoppe on Kingston Road, in conjunction with the Pegasus Community Project, will be hosting the Nocturnal Knit-A-Thon fundraiser this weekend.

The Pegasus Community Project was founded in 1994 with the belief that all citizens are entitled to equal opportunity to participate in the life of their community and to grow as individuals.

For the Nocturnal Knit-A-Thon, The Pegasus Shoppe employees Tracy Harper and Katie Stoddart will be knitting for 12 hours straight in the event which takes place at 931 Kingston Rd. It starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28; and runs right through to 7 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29.

The event will raise funds for Pegasus’ Polaris program, which is for adults with developmental disabilities whose needs are becoming greater due to their aging.

“At Pegasus, we are determined to support people through this transition and have made plans to create a unique program catering specifically to those people who are beginning their dementia journey,” said Paula Murphy, executive director of Pegasus.

“Everything gets more complicated as you get older, especially for people with developmental disabilities. Particularly early onset dementia is very common among their community. Individuals with developmental disabilities make up for three per cent of adults over 40 that show signs of early onset dementia, and individuals with down syndrome make up for 22 per cent of that. It can be a tough adjustment and Polaris is intended for support and unique catering specifically for people in that transition period,” she said.

The Pegasus Project was created with the purpose of offering citizens with developmental disabilities the same opportunities as everyone else, and to help with their lives by offering support to plan and make personal choices through day support and programming.

The Pegasus Project currently supports 60 adults with developmental disabilities in four program locations from Monday to Friday, and at two locations on Sundays.

The knitted items created during this weekend’s Knit-A-Thon will be auctioned off after the event.

Residents are invited to bring items for donation and stop by The Pegasus Shoppe to support the Nocturnal Knit-A-Thon.

For more information about the Pegasus Project and about The Pegasus Shoppe (and what are acceptable donations), please go to https://www.pegasustoronto.ca/