NEWS
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Photo Greg Kielec
CAS makes some noise to launch campaign Rachel Daigneault, executive director of the Children’s Aid Society of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengary, cuts the ribbon on cue from Kimly Thivierge of the CAS, at the microphone, to officially launch the CAS’s October awareness campaign with help from children attending the launch event at Lamoureux Park Saturday, while supporters and officials look on.
GREG KIELEC greg.kielec@eap.on.ca
An October “Break the Silence” campaign to raise awareness of child abuse got off to a bang at Lamoureux Park in Cornwall on Saturday. Ca m paign supporters, urged b y Ki m l y Thieverge of the local Childrens Aid Societ y , si m ultaneousl y burst paper bags handed out at the event in a s ym bolic breaking of the silence. The bag-popping b y 433 participants was one of the highlights of an action-packed event which stretched through the after- noon and into the evening featuring live m usic, children’s activities a free Benson barbecue and local celebrities plunging in a dunk tank. The launch event attended b y about 1,000 people officiall y kicked off a m onth-long awareness ca m paign spearheaded b y the Children’s Aid Societ y of the United Coun- ties of Stor m ont, Dundas and Glengar y . The ca m paign was officiall y opened around noon Saturda y with speeches fro m a nu m ber of CAS supporters followed b y a ribbon cutting on the bandshell stage. “We can’t do it alone. We need the co m - m unit y to help us,” said CAS executive direc- tor Rachel Daigneault. “Each ti m e y ou use y our voice against child abuse, y ou help us and y ou help a child,” she said. Tabitha Pilon, herself a foster child, said the CAS is often regarded the “bad gu y ”, but said it is often “the best thing that can hap- pen” to children suffering fro m abuse and neglect. “I’ m incredibl y thankful for all the doors
Photo Greg Kielec
David Murphy, marketing and promotions co-ordinator at Benson Auto – Pak, poses with Pauline Bray, manager of Benson Certi- fied, during a free barbecue provided by the Benson Group Inc. during the Children’s Aid Society’s local campaign launch Satur- day. Pictured below, right, local artist Graham Greer entertains the crowd at Lamoureux Park.
Ma y or Bob Kilger who was awa y on a m u- nicipal govern m ent conference in Toronto this weekend. “Take control of y our life,” he challenged listeners. “Don’t let the abuse or whatever happened in y our life to control y ou.” The CAS will have its infor m ation kiosk at Baxtro m ’s Your Independent Grocer on Fri- da y fro m noon to 4 p. m . and Saturda y at the Bob Turner Me m orial Centre fro m 10 a. m . to 2 p. m . for the Wildcats tourna m ent. The CAS will hold a silent auction Oct. 16 at Shoeless Joes and will hold its annual Dress Purple Da y on Oct. 19. The event fina- le will feature shows b y grand scale illusion- ist Claude Haggert y at the Aultsville Theatre at St. Lawrence College.
the y opened for m e,” she told a s m all crowd gathered near the bandshell. Denis Beaudr y , general m anager of the Caisse Populaire de Cornwall, offered inspi- rational based on his own success stor y as a foster child. He urged foster children to set goals for ever y week, ever y m onth and ever y y ear in order to achieve success. If the y do that, an y thing is possible, he said. “You alwa y s think it is going to be difficult to do it, but there’s alwa y s a wa y to m ake it possible,” he said. “Even though y ou are in foster care, it doesn’t m ean y ou won’t suc- ceed in life . . . ever y one can succeed.” Beaudr y ’s co mm ents were echoed b y cit y councillor S y d Gardiner, representing
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