Walpole Island First Nation is set to be turned purple today (January 21) in support of three local girls, who are battling cystic fibrosis.
The community has rallied behind Nancy St. Denis, 11, and sisters Jerzee, 10, and Braelyn Blackbird, 16, in the past, and they are coming together once again.
“We are always looking for new ideas for new fundraisers,” said Paulette Wrightman. “So the idea came about, we thought ‘how do we get everyone involved?’ That’s always our goal, to involve the whole community. We came up with the idea ‘Turn The Rez Purple.'”
Wrightman said they organized the event during the week so they could incorporate the band programs into their idea.
“The school and the daycare…. so we are covering the kids and the adults,” she said. “We have a bunch of activities planned.”
Wrightman said they have set up a “purple office challenge” where all the band programs were invited to participate and decorate their office purple, to create some awareness about cystic fibrosis.
“We have about nine offices that have said they are in,” Wrightman said. “The girls will be going around to judge and pick their favourite office. The Chief has graciously offered to supply doughnuts to the winning office.”
Wrightman said Walpole Elementary School and the Walpole Island day care will also be holding “purple day” where everyone is being encouraged to wear purple.
A purple bake sale will also take place throughout the day.
“Cupcakes, jello, Rice Krispies, cookies and anything like that will all have some purple in them somewhere,” she said. “The headquarters will be at the daycare and it will be sort of a travelling bake sale in the sense that a couple of volunteers will go to all the band programs again and sell the baked goods and they are inviting any students who want to purchase baked goods to bring in money so baked goods will be coming to the school. People from the community can stop in at the daycare.”
Wrightman said they will be holding “operation purple ribbon” across from the police station, as they will be setting up a toll booth from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Any cars that are passing by are just invited to make a donation if they so wish,” she said. “We prepared little bags in exchange for their donation.”
Wrightman said the bags include an information pamphlet detailing a “day in the life” for the girls living with CF, including: medication they have to take, physiotherapy they need, hospital stays, and appointments travelling to London.
“There is a little bit of candy in there and there is a purple ribbon,” she said. “So every car that comes through will be receiving a package for awareness.”
Wrightman said the day will be capped off with their final event, a toonie auction at the Walpole Island mall, with an assortment of big prizes, including:
– Play Station 4
– 32″ TV
– Purple bike
– Purple wreath
– Keurig coffee maker and coffee
– Portable DVD player
– Gift cards
– Youth hockey stick autographed by Jordin Tootoo and his book, also autographed
“So just a whole bunch of different items and that will be our culminating activity at the mall,” Wrightman said.
The event starts at 6 p.m. and all are welcome.
Wrightman said the Walpole Island community has pulled together for the girls in the past and continue to show support to help the families.
“Someone always stays with them,” she said. “There is always a family member which means that if I’m a family member and it’s my turn, that means that they are away from work. Even just the drive back and forth to London, the frequent drives for them. There is just a lot of extra expenses incurred just living a cystic fibrosis life.”
Wrightman was also instrumental in producing a documentary about the girls, called “Three Young Ladies.”
Walpole Island filmmaker Sally Kewayosh was commissioned to do the job. The film was created over the course of two years and utilized a $16,000 Ontario Arts Council grant. It details the girls’ home lives and the hospital care they receive.
It premiered back in December at the Walpole Island Cultural Community Centre during a Cystic Fibrosis Christmas Ball dinner and auction fundraiser.
“Just a lot of different fun things that we try to come up with,” Wrightman said. “Try to keep them ongoing and try to lessen the burden for the families.”
– Submitted photo: From left, Jerzee Blackbird, Braelyn Blackbird and Nancy St. Denis.
