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@ / : * , ; 02 AG. M NORTHUMBERLAND TODAY.COM _ M THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013 a JD. 4 JDAY/ ; n rtgeRke®® , mCOLBORNE _ ,(/‘)m pece 1222 e . | | . ‘ d S ‘ * k & â€" Lb ad . wahss 8. eA ‘% s ra e o e 0 ers A ... MB\ A it \.!-"’.- A gedy 14 ExE â€" C o0 ol‘ d ‘ I i+ s e CECILIA NASMITH good," Ferguson said. sevenâ€"yearâ€"old Eric Taylor and "I was blown away this year, 69 6Z . d h | SE Prromcs o â€"Northumberland Today By this year, the event had â€" sevenâ€"yearâ€"old Kaitlyn Bates . even with our accident, by how _ {,l v."’ . .grown too big for the school _ were also invited to put together _ much strength Mom had for the . | â€" M o6 . SPT "oone fl P . COLBORNE â€" Supporting the _ and was moved to the Colborne _ a prize packages in honour of other Memorial Tree families _| _ &-L x “2 JA .,â€" d P Colbotne Public School music â€" Legion. Local merchants and _ that child. this year. She was really like a ia / e .. B P0 2l t program young Mitchell Ferguâ€" _ supporters supplied 25 fully decâ€" For Mitch, it‘s always been a rosk," she said. _ it radi eb Jalls ) ".s * 5y son loved was the original purâ€" _ orated Christmas trees for aucâ€" . Toronto Maple Leafs package. One family joined this year in," Yss j4 e h\ c pose of the annual Festival of . tioning and raffling off, with For one of the other families, who‘d had a hard time. She E l S _â€"_f e s ;,’ P a Trees, organized in memory of _ tickets at $10 each for a Nov. 23 _ it was a Christmas In Cobourg â€" would spend an hour on the . [Â¥A e h e Â¥ fi Jok ol & the 14â€"yearâ€"old boy who was . draw. s package, with $850 worth of _ phone at night with the mother. on | " :\ PM . j killed in a tobogganing accident. The support grows each year, _ treasures and gift certificates. She is the one that really was 7 A / t ds a .cs Mitch‘s teacher Chad Morford _ Ferguson said, and it has become For Mitch‘s big sister Andrea, _ strong, and connected with all _ lik oi * e Ap aess 4 was an inspiration, his mother . an official community weekend _ it was a special package in memâ€" _ the families, I thought that was . NBEA _ ind e*.. al s d Robin said in a recent interview. _ event. ber of her unborn baby Jaylynn _ incredible, after what we went ' 7‘3’5 l e ie ts n AR ied ‘And she was moved by his vision Not only has Morford been . Neveah Forget. Jaylynn was lost _ through." \ | > | + ‘. o .‘_‘:- M a _ fats Ev‘ yal . of a music program that could _ saved from six to eight fundraisâ€" when her mother was involved Somehow the family recovered _ B 3 l S . ath 4 3 9e Te " n it ib encompass the whole school and _ ers a year to pursue his vision, in a tragic car accident earlier _ in time to start work on the 2013 ’.\'. s e k. . 4t C‘t’. ag yX allow them to participate in comâ€" _ Ferguson said. He has seen his . this year. At the time Andrea _ Pestival of Trees in August which _ . M t S 5 uk: 7 . Mlt on j , petitions coast to coast. Oak Percussion group compete _ Ferguson had been in her 24th _ reminds them of the big picture . M P py < t ; 6 : > M ‘ : cce Originally, all the family. _ all over the country, and has also _ week. each holiday season: through es en "C â€" W pit ,3_‘_ ie | wanted to do was find a way to _ been instrumental in developâ€" "It was very hard for me to be _ their efforts, and those of other if .3 lt . td a ho give back for the outpouring of _ ing the Ontario Drumline Assoâ€" _ involved this year, and I‘ve been _ bereaved families and a handful FLE Trg h’{, 3 é‘& ’t.;.‘.- 1; \| support the community offered _ ciation. part of it since it started for my _ of teachers from Colborne Pubâ€" s hok n Nesa Sva in the wake of their tragedy. But the festival is now about _ brother;" she recalled. lic School (including Morford), io flce ies , R They suggested inâ€"memoriam _ something more than continuâ€" "I never thought my child â€" the goodness and compassion | h > taags -.“ /C # > donations in Mitch‘s name for _ ing that support. It is also about _ would actually be remembered, _ of the community can be chanâ€" | £J bediaian .2 050 We o P FZ cceb 4 the music program, because the _ a family who has lost a beloved _ and so soon." neled in support of a program 1 ;l:{;'l'w_fl‘ *« Roaimine. + n .c f # drumline he was a member of _ child reaching out to others For her parents Robin and _ that enriches children‘s lives â€" _ | it , Nt tpmin "j $3 ) : _‘-"""“‘"_,ffif‘ J was fundraising for a competiâ€" _ who have experienced the same _ Darryl Ferguson, the loss of their _ and meant so much to Mitch. O L phi d en w 'k s ks 0C > «100 12 I tion in Montreal at the time. They . loss. first grandchild was like revisiting _‘ i Hasl 00 *«A @0 y : .> nc hick raised $8,600 that way. Ferguson refers to this as the 2009 and the loss of their son. cecilia.nasmith@sunmedia.ca _ |â€" / »J J "g~ '4- Lank -".; PS _ ns M | But Ferguson wanted to conâ€" â€" Remembering Our Babies comâ€" "It was to be our new beginâ€" twitter.com/NT_cnasmith vAt * *3 ;ifi'*â€" J $3 20 W‘ iton\ | tinue the family‘s support of the _ ponent. This year, in addition to ning," Ferguson said of her / 0V "ol P 2" * aW7 . 5‘ i e *4 music program the following _ Mitch, they honoured the lives of _ granddaughter fi“" o > "4 w ## < Â¥4 + 5,{%â€";; A '\1 | Christmas with the first Festival _ five other children with a Memoâ€" The family managed to make supmitep puoto | _ "& . "AM s ce e pam â€"20 *4 Bihei, ~ E'-z l _ of Trees. They raised $10,000 that _ rial Tree. This tree is the grand _ it through this second tragedy 6 3 3 h e â€" 3 4000 * lc *x1 year, and have managed to raise _ prize, with the greatest gift packâ€" _ thanks to a number of things, _ The Memorial Tree â€" in honour of W i 4", it ol C P is m{’,fia a little more every year since. ages that go along with it. including a belief in the power _ Mitchell Ferguson, Kandas Derry, |___ W\ * j.r&','fi_-,._fl‘_ l . WMed She estimates that the total As well, there are vast numâ€" _ of compassion and their ‘delight _ Lizzy Corbeil, Katelynn Bates, [ _â€" .. C@ W hi é*:; Â¥ ifitms! “""‘,,1 benefit to the music program to _ bers of prizes and packages for _ in their young foster son, who _ Eric Taylor and Robyn Taylor _ ¢soon onl amiprest \ â€" P date is more than $50,000. auctioning and raffling. And _ brings energy, joy and innocence _ â€" is always the grand prize at es éfi' ~» o it :s ut _ § fid "That is very telling in a small _ the families of 11â€"yearâ€"old Lizzy _ to their home. Colborne‘s Festival of Trees, and xfi' t . 2. ~aneneraliits es in Aiy Ob ‘% To d community where, if you walk . Corbeil, 20â€"yearâ€"old Robin Tayâ€" Andrea said she was inspired _ the one that has the greatest gift | _ hnd f 1 K 1O c d away with $2,000, you‘re doing _ lor, 21â€"yearâ€"old Kandas Derry, _ as well by her mother‘s example. packages to go along with it, MOaiacind: wl M o e ie oi se ty