5 Things You Need To Know For June 12, 2026

June 12, 2026 5:55 am Published by Chris McLeod

_{June 12th is the 163rd day of the year. There are 202 days remaining until the end of the year.}

Three games this weekend for the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers as they welcome in the top team, the Barrie Baycats.

Game time tonight is at 7:35 p.m., 7:05 on Saturday and 1:05 Sunday at Fergie Jenkins Field. Sundays are family day at the park with buy one, get one tickets at the gate.

Sons of Kent Brewing co. is celebrating their 9th anniversary this weekend.

The anniversary party is Saturday with lots of entertainment from the Dave Trinca Experience, Paper Jam and 40 Hours Over, with food trucks and new beer releases.

Admission is free with a donation supporting The Wish Centre’s Summer Program for local kids. Every donation helps make summer a little brighter for kids in our community.

The legendary Boot of Cortez, believed to be the largest surviving natural gold nugget in the Western Hemisphere, is heading to auction today.

The massive nugget weighs 26.2 pounds, stands nearly 11 inches tall, and is about 98% pure gold. It was discovered in Mexico in 1989 using a Radio Shack metal detector and previously sold for more than $1.3 million in 2008.

Auction experts now estimate it could fetch over $3 million.

Saturday is World Blood Donor Day; a day to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

There will be a blood donor clinic on Tuesday at the Portuguese Canadian Social Club from 1 to 8 p.m.

No walk-in appointments are available. Book your appointment at Blood.ca, call 1-888-2-DONATE or use the apps.

If you’re unable to donate then, the next clinic locally will also be at the Portuguese Club on Saturday, June 20th.

Today is Grimace’s 55th birthday!

We all know and love the big purple Grimace, but what exactly is he? According to Grimace lore, he comes from Grimace Island and belongs to a huge family that includes Grandma Winky, aunts Millie and Tillie, and Uncle O’Grimacey, the former mascot of the Shamrock Shake. Many fans believe Grimace is a taste bud, though McDonald’s has never fully confirmed it. The company once described him by saying, “He is an enormous taste bud, but a taste bud nonetheless.”

So how did Grimace come to be? Believe it or not, he originally appeared as a milkshake thief. That’s right—Grimace started out as a villain. Over time, however, his character evolved into the lovable, friendly Grimace we know today. He eventually became friends with Ronald McDonald, Mayor McCheese, and the rest of the McDonaldland crew.

Happy Birthday, Grimace! 🎉💜