Port Elgin’s Rowland’s Independent Grocer is currently raising money for the Liv-A-Little Foundation. The Littles will be at the store helping to bag groceries and answer any questions that the public may have on Saturday, July 30. From left: Chad, Erin, Harper and Olivia Little, with Rowland’s Independent owner Scott Rowland.

Hub Staff

From purple dinosaurs, donuts, shops and even a few decorated apples, Saugeen Shores has shown its true colour and that colour is purple.

Paint the Town Purple was created to raise awareness of Cystinosis, a life-threatening disease that afflicts roughly 75 children and young adults in Canada; including one Olivia Little of Saugeen Shores.

The Paint the Town Purple campaign is moving into its final week and will end on August 6 but the Little family hopes it made an impact and raised awareness about the rare metabolic disease, that causes early cell death and slowly destroys vital organs.

On July 28, Olivia’s parents, Erin and Chad Little, invited local media to see some of the faces in the community who have gone above and beyond for the Littles during the Paint the Town Purple campaign.

“It’s our favourite time of the year, it really is,” said mother Erin Little, July 28. “Knowing that there’s complete strangers that have that compassion to put out that purple bow, it makes us feel like we’re not alone.”

Keepsakes and Memories owner Chris Swain is helping to raise awareness by creating beautiful purple bows that can be seen around town. Last year they sold 560 bows and hope to exceed that number this year. Part of the proceeds were given back to the Little’s fundraising charity Liv-A-Little Foundation, which raises money for Cystinosis research.

Swain said that many customers popped in to ask about the purple bows and why they were scattered around town. Swain said that it was a great way to educate people about Cystinosis. “Last year they come in and asked us, so then we tell them about it. This year we’ve had people from London even buy [the bows] and take them back with them,” Swain said.

Saugeen Shores Tim Hortons locations have created a special donut to correspond with the awareness campaign, the Liv-A-Little donut. Tim Hortons owner Dave Faulkner said the response to the donut has been phenomenal. “Anyone that’s from [Saugeen Shores] understands it but anyone that’s not from here, this is the bread and butter this time of year, everyone coming in from travelling and whatnot, they’re like, ‘what’s that all about’, so we can educate them as we’re going through the process which is absolutely wonderful.” Faulkner said that Bulk Barn donated some special purple sprinkles that are featured on the donut and when they ran out of the first batch they had more flown in.

For the past three years Rowland Independent Grocer has made the Liv-A-Little Foundation the store’s number one fundraising option, known as its Icon Sale. Owner Scott Rowland said the first year the store fundraised for one week and raised $6,000 for the Foundation. The second year they campaigned for two weeks and raised over $10,000. Rowland’s began their 2016 fundraiser on July 22, it will last three weeks with Scott hoping they beat last year’s amount and take it to $15,000.

“Just looking at what Olivia goes through at a daily bases, it grabs at your heartstrings, so anything we can do to help, we’re here until we find a cure,” said Rowland.

The Little family and a few Saugeen Shores Winterhawks will be on hand Saturday, July 30 helping to check customers out and bag their groceries to help raise more awareness about Cystinosis.

Scott said that days when the Littles help out at the store are great days, because the customers get to see the family to whom their donations are going. “When they find out it’s a rare disease and there’s 1,500 cases in North America, research dollars are tough to come by... [customers] can see who it’s going to help and that’s what it's all about.”

For Erin Little she says driving through town and seeing the purple ribbons is very humbling and thanks the community of Saugeen Shores for their help in raising awareness.

Olivia Little with their Liv-A-Little donut at the downtown Port Elgin Tim Hortons location, July 28.

Mother Erin (left), Harper and Olivia Little with Keepsakes and Memories owner Chris Swain. Keepsakes and Memories are still making bows that help “Paint the Town Purple”.