Tell Someone

Photos by Tracey Vigars

Bell Mobility helped the Patrick 4 Life foundation take a step closer to educating the youth of North Bay about HIV/AIDS with the ‘Connected To Communities: Neighbourhood Enhancement Program’.

The program was a competition initiated by Bell to reward a worthy community project selected by the city but decided on by the city's residents voting.

“Of all of the other communities, many involved outdoor things such as outdoor repairs, it could have been sprucing up a park, putting up a playground for children different things like that,” explains Angela Ferro Bell Mobility Marketing Manager.

“But this one was unique in that it was a development of a brochure, a societal issue that was obviously very near and dear to the hearts of North Bay residents.”

“A small organisation such as this was able to bring life to an issue like that, we’re proudly able to sponsor it and hope that it really takes off.”

Patrick 4 Life garnered 60 percent of the vote and will use the funds to launch a youth focused campaign to get out and tell someone about HIV/AIDS.

Allison Loyst a Grade Nine student at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall says she became involved because she has been a friend of Patrick 4 Life Youth Ambassador Gerri Clout, but now understands the issue goes far beyond friendship.

“I find it’s a really great thing for us to do because it’s just such an important thing in the world. In the community it’s important that we get it out to the public and we tell our youth, because we want to help prevent it and just let them know that it is out there,” she says.

“So I was personally honoured when they asked us to do that because I find that it is really just a great thing and it’s important.”

Gerri Clout says she never imagined helping with the inaugural Patrick 4 Life Run/Walk would snowball into the campaign she finds herself part of.

“I had absolutely no idea I’m very glad that it’s come this far and that we’re reaching out to this many people and now we just hope they take the information and run with it. It’s their turn now,” states Clout.

“If every single youth told someone and then they told someone we would know and then we would eliminate the risk of not knowing about HIV/AIDS.”

The brochure is in the final production stages and should be hitting the streets in the next few weeks.