Mirror photo/MIKE POCHWAT

The 36th annual India Chariot Festival parade gets set to make its way down Yonge Street. The 3,000-year old tradition of Ratha-Yatra had hundreds participating in the recent parade down Yonge Street.

Photo/NICK PERRY

Phillip Lohn of the Glen Long Pool team slides down backwards during the Toronto Lifeguards' Slide-A-Thon event at Northwood Community Centre July 25. The event was held to raise funds and awareness for drowning prevention.

Photo/MIKE POCHWAT

Thames Fatales' Hell Cat Holly wipes out during GTA Rollergirls' Virgin Suicides Brawl roller derby event action against the Death Row Dames at Ted Reeve Arena.

Photo/ANICE WONG

Julia Bennett examines a promethia moth caterpillar during High Park's walking tour on July 27. The topic of the tour was caterpillars and butterflies.

Photo/IAN KELSO

A couple walk along the newly-created boardwalk at the $10.6 million Mimico Waterfront Park, that opened July 28.

Photo/ANICE WONG

To celebrate his country's 34th year of independence, Craig Hanson shows off his pride during Grenada Day celebrations in Toronto.

Photo/IAN KELSO

These heavy black rain storm clouds hang over a lone sailboat out on Lake Ontario July 21.

Photo/MIKE POCHWAT

Vanessa Johnson, 4, tries her best to wash a car during the Broadview Community Youth Group summer camp car wash Saturday to raise awareness and money for the camp.

Photo/WILLIAM MEIJER

Tatiana Perla, 7, and her sister Vanessa, 9, take a midway ride during the Fairbanks BIA's recent World Fest events in the Eglinton Avenue and Dufferin Street neighbourhood.

Photo/JONATHAN MARC TAILL

A performer dances on stage at Nathan Phillips Square for the launch of the 41st Caribana Festival.

BRIEFS

Feed the children breakfast at Community Centre 55

Members of Toronto's emergency services (fire, EMS and police), with the support of the Salvation Army, will be serving a free pancake breakfast to local children on Monday, Aug. 11.

The event will take place at Community Centre 55, 97 Main St., from 7 to 9 a.m.

The feed the children breakfast is designed to remind members of the surrounding community that there is an ongoing need to help underprivileged youngsters in Beach-Riverdale.

The breakfast is also a way to highlight two upcoming fundraising events namely Canada's 9-1-1 Ride on Saturday, Aug. 23 and the Red, White and Blue Knights 30th annual Charity Toy Ride on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Visit www.redwhiteandblueknights.com and www.canadas911ride.com for details.

Montage Support Services awarded Trillium grant

A local non-profit organization, which provides support for people with multiple disabilities, will be able to build new meeting and training rooms with $150,000 in provincial funding announced earlier this week.

Montage Support Services, located near Oakwood Avenue and Vaughan Road, received one of the 44 community grants to Toronto-area organizations from the Ontario Trillium Foundation that provided more than $5.1 million in total.

"These Ontario Trillium Foundation grants will have a powerful impact on local economies and improve the quality of life for Ontario families," said Aileen Carroll, Ontario Minister of Culture.

Alexander Waugh, grant review team chair for Toronto, agreed.

"These grants will enable groups to create more social, cultural and recreational activities, remove barriers to full participation and promote healthy living," Waugh said.

Montage supports individuals in their homes within the community around Toronto, helping them create a more independent living environment as well as developing their confidence and self-esteem.

The organization also provides a 24-hour scheduled out-of-home community-based respite service in Scarborough, seven days a week, for individuals with complex care needs and their families.

- Clark Kim

National Dream Walk this Sunday at Woodbine Park

The Starlight Starbright Foundation is set to host its third annual National Dream Walk on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Held across Canada, one of the walks will be taking place at Woodbine Park at Coxwell Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration begins at 10 a.m.

The National Dream Walk supports the Starlight Starbright Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to make the wishes of seriously ill children come true.

The organization also helps seriously ill children and their families cope with pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities.

The foundation hopes that this year's walks will raise $70,000.

Visit www.starlightcanada.org for more information.

Director explores China's art

As the world's eyes turn to China for the Beijing Olympics, the Royal Ontario Museum will turn its attention to the art of China with the premier of The Rising Tide on Aug. 21.

The Institute for Contemporary Culture at the ROM will present American filmmaker Robert Adanto's directorial debut at 7:30 p.m.

The film explores China's transformation through the work and words of several of the country's leading young artists, photographers and filmmakers. The director will be there to introduce his film and take questions from the audience.

Tickets are available on day of event beginning at 6 p.m. at the south entrance of the ROM. Tickets are $10, $8 for ROM Members and $6 for Friends of the Institute for Contemporary Culture.

Visit www.therisingtidefilm.com for more information and to view the film's trailer.

Police warn public about phoney photographer

A man claiming to be a photographer for the University of Toronto and Ryerson University is accused of sexually assaulting several women in recent weeks.

Police report the suspect, who identified himself as "Steve", approached his victims and asked if he could take their picture for a project he was working on. Police allege a man then takes the picture and asks the victims to start exposing themselves more to him before taking them to a more secluded location where he allegedly sexually assaults them.

Police have issued a public safety alert about this potential sex offender.

He is described as a white male, in his 40s with short, curly dark graying hair and is clean shaven. He is six-feet tall with a thin build and was wearing tinted sunglasses, dark khaki shorts and a light-coloured T-shirt. He was also riding a white bicycle and carrying a dark knapsack and a camera.

Anyone with information should call 416-808-5304 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or www.222tips.com.

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