Visitors to the Royal Tyrrell Museum got a bonus two weekends ago. In the galleries was a film crew from the hit Nickolodeon show, Dino Dan.
    The show was filming in and around the museum from October 19-22 for a 30-minute special episode.
    “We’ve been trying to get them out to the museum to do an episode and we were finally able to make it happen,” said Lisa Making, acting Director of Exhibits & Communications.
    While filming, the crew was asked to work around the visiting hours of the museum as much as possible. This meant late nights and early mornings for the crew.
    “We were pretty strict. They couldn’t interfere with the experience for our visitors. Most people were really curious about what’s going on, but they also want to see our galleries,” said Making. “The crew worked around our visitor hours, so there were some late nights and early mornings.”
    The Dino Dan crew also had to battle the elements when they had to film outside in the badlands next to the museum after a blizzard dumped a thick blanket of snow during filming. The crew adjusted the script to incorporate the snow.
    The museum is hoping they can get the film crew back for another episode.
    “They had a wonderful time and we’re hoping to get them back here again,” said Making. “They were raving about the time. They really want to come back and film here again. We’re going to continue working with them to find a way.”
    Dr. Don Henderson, curator of dinosaurs, even got some time to take the show’s stars on a backstage tour of the museum.
    The Tyrrell Museum has been working with Dino Dan for the past four years. The museum, in particular Dr. Henderson, reviews scripts and computer animations to ensure they are scientifically accurate.
    “They wanted to work with us to check scientific information, so they knew they were getting everything correct,” said Making. “We’ve been involved in reviewing their scripts and animation, we give feedback, and if they have a plot that doesn’t fit with scientific information, we tell them and they make the change.”
    The show currently airs on Nickolodeon Jr. and follows Dan, a young boy who imagines dinosaurs in his everyday life. He investigates different aspects of dinosaurs, such as their behaviour and what they may have looked like.
    The half hour special is expected to be aired sometime in 2013.

    Volunteerism is one of the cornerstones of the Drumheller community. Resident Eileen Gallagher is no exception.
    Each Tuesday, Gallagher, a semi-retired cashier at Riverside Value Drug Mart, makes the trip to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary to volunteer. Her job is somewhat a little unusual, but makes a world of difference to those who work at and are patients of the hospital.
    “I am what is known as a Unit Volunteer. We relieve the nurses of having to pacify the young babies, because they don’t have the time to sit and cuddle them when they are fussing or unhappy. We also assist the nurses with bottle feeding and changing the babies,” said Gallagher.
    The Alberta Children’s Hospital has patients as young as newborns. Many of them have conditions that require constant medical supervision. Some are even afflicted with cancer and are in palliative care.
    “I consider it a great opportunity. Some of these babies are anywhere from days old and up. The unit I’m on deals with little ones who have digestive issues, some of which are quite serious. We also take care of babies with respiratory issues, some of them are fitted with a trachea tube,” said Gallagher.
    For some of the children, their parents can’t be around the whole time. The cuddlers help give the children some needed human contact.
    “A lot of times the parents of these little patients are working or they have other young children at home, so it can be difficult for them to find the time to come to the hospital on a regular basis. Most of the parents are extremely thankful, knowing their little one isn’t just in a crib and only checked on when an alarm sounds,” said Gallagher.
    Volunteering as a cuddler has been something Gallagher has wanted to do for some time. Since she semi-retired, she has been able to find the time to help and started in August 2011.
    “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for so many years. There was no call locally….so I pursued it in Calgary. I did the training, RCMP check, got all my vaccines, and away I went,” said Gallagher.
    Before she started, Gallagher had to undergo extensive training. Volunteers must know how to care for the children, different medical conditions, and hospital codes.
     Some volunteers have been there for years. One lady in particular has been a cuddler for 17 years. Anyone interested in getting involved can contact the Alberta Children’s Hospital volunteer resources at 403-955-7997.
    Gallagher hopes to keep volunteering each Tuesday.
    “If you miss a week, like in my case because of weather conditions, you feel like you’ve really missed something,” said Gallagher. “Rewarding doesn’t describe the feeling properly.”