A search for joy and helping others has led a local woman all over the world.
For this week’s edition of People of Collingwood we sat down with Marilyn King-Lawrence, 64, this year’s Companion to the Order of Collingwood recipient.
Q: For how long have you lived in Collingwood?
A: I was born and raised in Toronto. I lived in an Ontario Housing project that was known as The Jungle. Yorkdale Shopping Centre stands there today.
I lived there basically until I got married to my first husband.
I moved up here when my son was one year old, and he’s 38 now. The reason for moving was to offer him a different lifestyle.
I commuted to and from the city for quite a few years, until I opened my own store in Creemore, where we lived.
I had a lot of people coming into my store from Collingwood so we decided to open one here.
Our store was on Hurontario across from where Loblaws is now.
Eventually, I sold the house in Creemore and moved to Collingwood. The store was called Cottage Country Crafts and sold craft and hobby supplies.
Q: When did you first start volunteering in the community?
A: It was 15 years ago, with Team Diabetes.
Team Diabetes is the athletic fundraising section of the Canadian Diabetes Association. Twenty years ago I had this friend who told me she was going to run a marathon in Rome, Italy. I started helping her fundraise. That kind of turned into me helping others too.
Eventually I thought, if all these people were doing it and they hadn’t run before, certainly I could learn how to do it. I trained for a year and a half.
In 2006, I ran my first marathon in Italy. It was an awesome experience.
My mom was a Type 1 diabetic, as was my brother.
My grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles... everyone has died from complications of diabetes. It’s very prevalent in my family.
Essentially, you have to fundraise a pre-set amount and you go on different journeys all over the world. My family really supported me on this, so 100 per cent of the money I was raising went to the Canadian Diabetes Association.
For the last 15 years I have gone on one journey every year. I’m not running the marathons anymore, but I’ve hiked up Machu Picchu in Peru and hiked up a volcano in Iceland.
I’m not a diabetic. I don’t know how it’s missed me.
Q: Can you tell me about your work to collect donations for the food bank?
I don’t advertise it really. It’s more (word-of-mouth). I collect food for a reason.
My work with the food bank evolved from Team Diabetes. I have a person who does the finances for it.
While I was getting donations, there was food in with the donations. It was hard to sell it so we started just putting it in boxes and donating it.
I’m also a real coupon nut. (laughs) I discovered the joy of couponing.
I love the deals when it’s on special, you use a coupon, you also get a rebate and it costs you nothing. I love those. So I do that a lot, and give it to the food bank.
I find, even with the Team Diabates, it’s like a huge umbrella.
Under that umbrella is so many other things. For example, through our online auction site (to raise money for Team Diabetes), one of the things we sell is clothes.
Once a year I go through the clothes and do a community event at the legion where all the clothes are a dollar. Naturally, we sell out of nearly everything.
The way I see it, I’ve found something else I can do. I want to help in any way that I can.
I, personally, grew up cold and hungry. My life lesson, always, was never forget where you came from.
We were hungry and poor but so was everyone else where we lived.
Q: Part of the work you do helps to benefit the Georgian Triangle Humane Society. What made you want to give your time to that cause?
A: I used to do more for the GTHS than I do.
My big fella, Tundra, died.
I named my new dog Jessie Joy, because I lost my joy when he died. I hoped I would get it back with her. I did, but in a totally different way.
I obviously am an animal lover. I have to support those causes.
I was raised with the Salvation Army, so now I support the Salvation Army.
I send them things through our network.
I’ve been so lucky to meet local people who are part of Team Diabetes, and if they aren’t, they are after meeting me.
Q: When you found out you were the recipient of the Companion to the Order of Collingwood, how did you feel in that moment?
A: I was a bit shocked, because I got a letter.
I thought, ‘What’s the mayor sending me a letter for? My taxes aren’t in arrears.’
I had a bit of wind about it to be honest with you.
The shock wasn’t that I was nominated... the shock was that they were honouring me with it. I was genuinely surprised.
It was so common for me to be kind, that I don’t think anything of it.
It always comes back to my mother. I try not to talk about her.
When I won (the Order of Collingwood), I put the pin in with my mom’s ashes, because she would have been so proud.
I felt so humbled sitting next to the Order of Collingwood recipients and all their achievements.
Q: What does the future hold for you?
A: I joke with people that I need to retire from retirement. I’ve been retired for 10 years and I haven’t stopped.
I can’t see myself ever not doing something or not helping somebody. I would like to be more involved at the food banks.
Another big thing, is my son. He lives in London, Ont. and I have been blessed with three beautiful grandchildren.
I want to, one day, just say I’m going to drive to London today and pick my granddaughter up from school.
To surprise her would just be joy.
For our feature People of Collingwood, we’ll be speaking with interesting people who are either from or are contributing to the Collingwood community in some way, letting them tell their own stories in their own words. This feature will run on CollingwoodToday every Saturday. If you’d like to nominate or suggest someone to be featured in People of Collingwood, email [email protected].
