Rayjon Share Care marks 40 years of solidarity with a community celebration on June 18

A Sarnia charity born from friendship between two neighbours invites the whole community to mark four decades of quietly changing lives in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Rayjon Share Care is turning 40, and Sarnia is invited to the party.

The local charity is hosting a free open-house evening on Thursday, June 18, at the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Speeches begin at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free and all are welcome. RSVPs are encouraged at rayjon.org/celebrate-40.

The milestone marks four decades since two Sarnia neighbours, Ray and John, decided that ordinary people could reach across borders and make a difference. What started as a friendship and a conviction became one of this community's most enduring expressions of global solidarity.

Since 1986, Rayjon has worked in partnership with communities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, guided by local leaders on the ground and sustained by the people of Sarnia-Lambton. The numbers tell part of the story: more than 6,500 primary school students have received an education, over 2,000 adults have gained literacy, more than 400 women entrepreneurs have accessed small loans, and over 23,400 pairs of prescription glasses have been matched to people who needed them.

But the numbers don't tell the whole story. Behind them are Sarnia families who fundraised at kitchen tables, students who gave their summers, retirees who gave their time, and neighbours who packed their bags and traveled south not as tourists but as partners and learners.

"There is a feeling in the world right now that the challenges before us are endless," says Executive Director Allison Kingston. "I believe, just as Ray and John believed 40 years ago, that when we work together as connected friends, a better world is possible. This anniversary belongs to every person in Sarnia who ever believed that too."

The June 18 evening is designed as a gathering for everyone who has ever been part of the Rayjon story, as well as those who are simply curious. Guests can drop in at any time, browse decade-by-decade photo displays and artefacts, and share their own memories as part of a living timeline of the organization's history.

Whether you have been with Rayjon since the beginning or have never heard the name before, the doors are open.