There were more than a few moist eyes in the room as a big thanks was given to some special members of the community.
A dinner by Georgina Alexis gave thanks to Mrs. Madhok’s class and Constable Lance and Constable Keller for their work on the Be Seen Be Safe Campaign.
The Sowchea Elementary class and the RCMP members who helped along the way, all worked to create the Be Seen Be Safe campaign to help keep the community, and especially children safe, after the tragic death of 11-year-old Nolan Alexis last year on Highway 27.
“It lifts my heart,” said Georgina, Nolan’s mom. “I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for everything you’ve done, for what you’ve accomplished.”
Nolan’s stepfather Don Mattess also spoke, and the two grieving parents managed to tell some touching stories about their young son’s life and character.
A slide show by Georgina was shown and a short video at the end showed young Nolan singing along to a pop song with his cousin.
“I know in my heart, Nolan is in a better place,” said Georgina. “He was a child that brought happiness and joy and love.”
Georgina told a story about Nolan’s last birthday party before he was killed, where he was thrilled with the surprise when she showed up with a car filled to the brim with all of his cousins.
Before the dinner, honour songs were sung for both the women and the men in the room and Nolan’s grandfather spoke about raising Nolan in his younger years and how the Be Seen Be Safe campaign will be seen across the country now with all of the momentum it has gained through the class’s hard work.
There was also a slide show by Principal Cam McCormick about the campaign itself, and he showed photos of the class visiting schools and promoting the high-visibility arm and leg bands their fundraising provided to members of the community.
Sydnee Schlamp also gave an impressive public speech about the program and the work she and the other students did.
Nolan’s parents, Georgina and Don, then handed out gift bags for each of the children who helped with the campaign. Inside were coats with the Be Seen Be Safe logo on them and t-shirts in bright colours.
Before the dinner, Georgina explained how she wanted to give the thank you dinner before both Constable Lance and Constable Keller, who both helped with the campaign, left for their transfers to other communities.
“They were there for me from the beginning,” she said, thanking both the RCMP constables and the students of Sowchea.
“They’ve done a lot of work for the project,” she said.
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