Patrick loved a party

Christine Fortin shares a moment with Sam Rota (L) and friend after they completed the last two-kilometre leg of the Partici-Patrick marathon.

Two years ago folks would be hard pressed to find a child that could tell the about HIV/AIDS but with the determination of the Patrick4Life Foundation and support from all four area schools boards kids in elementary schools are learning and talking about the issue through the Partici- Patrick program.

Partici-Patrick is a physical and education based program that helps youth understand the importance of active living and making good choices while learning about HIV/AIDS.

Patrick Fortin, a brave young man who contracted HIV/ AIDS through tainted blood and died in 2001 at the age of 23, had a wish that his legacy of hope for zero AIDS would continue through youth and education.

On Friday over 2,000 elementary school sstudents representing all four school boards in the region joined MPP Monique Smith and Ontario's Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne for the last two-kilometre leg of a marathon, and helped Patrick’s mother Christine realise that they are on the right path in making Patrick’s wish a reality.

“Patrick loved a good party, so he would be so thrilled. And everyone is wearing Patrick’s favourite colour red! And we are so happy to have the support that we have and we want everyone to be informed and inspired and healthy and today is good proof of that,” she says.

“What’s happening here in North Bay is the tipping point in educating about HIV and AIDS.”

Minister Wynne agrees that there is room for the rest of the province to learn from what the Patrick4Life Foundation has designed.

“There are thousands of kids here today that have been working in their schools to get ready for this, they’re learning about HIV/AIDS, they’re learning about what’s going on in other parts of the world, and they’re coming together now as a massive group to finalise this project, so it is just terrific. The volunteers and the teachers and the education system deserve such a lot of credit.”

“I think the Partici-Patrick model is having an impact on curriculum already ... there’s input into curriculum review at the ministry already, so I think that their impact is going to be felt across the province.”

Nipissing MPP Monique Smith echoed her colleague’s thoughts stating that she look forward to Partici-Patrick because of the energy and the enthusiasm of these kids.

“I think because we have the partnership of the four boards now, the Patrick4Life people have done such a great job of bringing a coalition together, that we’re seeing it expanding right here in our area.”

“But also the Partici-Patrick people have gotten involved in the curriculum review province wide through the HIV/AIDS bureau which is a provincial organisation and they are really influencing the curriculum review across the province which is wonderful. It’s what they wanted to do, they wanted to spread that education across the province and they’re doing just that and I am incredibly proud of them and the work that they are doing,” adds Smith.

In order to make Partici-Patrick a smooth event Christine and daughter Lyanne (sometimes along with dad Christian, and brother Richard) visited 24 schools sharing Patrick’s story and helping the kids understand why it is important to make wise choices. Fortin says she noted a marked difference in the response to the program this year in contrast to the ’07 programme.

“The kids were not shy to come right up to the mic and ask a question and the teachers were supportive as well.”

“We now know the HIV is 100% preventable so we need to be starting with our youth at a younger age talking about these issues and teaching about how to protect themselves. So Patrick would be very proud and he made it a point himself to go into all of the high schools to speak to mature students on the topic of HIV/AIDS, so we’re very happy and we feel that this is the tipping point and we’ve created a pilot project here in North Bay which is being evaluated as well so hopefully we can bring it to the rest of the province,” she adds.

“We bring it into the family as well, somehow there has been a lack of communication a young mother does not know how to talk to her child about HIV and a young teacher may not feel comfortable in the classroom so the second part of the Partici-Patrick project is teacher training so we will move forward with that as well.”

The Partici-Patrick marathon officially kicked off the Patrick4Life weekend campaign and for Patrick’s family it isn’t always a weekend full of joy and celebration.

“I always find that one part of this brings back painful memories ... I’m just trying to breathe deeply and really appreciate this year and always know that we have such support, so it must be the right thing to do.”