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Eric Pelly - Ayalik Fund
2015-12-29
Eric on the move!
A Message from Laurie & David Pelly
Dear OCMHA Friends:
It is nearly a year since we lost our dear son Eric to a sudden cardiac arrhythmia. We remain profoundly grateful to those who have shown us that they share our ongoing grief and those who have helped in so many ways.
As many of you know, in order to honour Eric’s memory and give future meaning to his short life, we have established a foundation in his name, the Ayalik Fund.
We’d like to bring you up to date on the Ayalik Fund’s exciting progress. The early donors made it possible for the fund to take some immediate action. The biggest news is that the Ayalik Fund has already sent two Inuit youths on the sort of experience we once provided for Eric, and now offer other Inuit youths.
Within a few short months of our establishing the fund, Shania Angohiatok and Ian Kavanna, both 16, were on their way from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, to an Outward Bound Canada expedition. They flew down south (for the first time!) to Calgary, where they joined other youths from across Canada and from London, England, for a backpacking trek in the Rocky Mountains. For Ian and Shania, it was especially exciting – their first time ever seeing trees, among many other "firsts." You can see photos, read more about their experience and hear their reactions on the website’s Grants page.
Shania Angohiatok and Ian Kavanna, from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut,
in the Rocky Mountains for an adventure with Outward Bound Canada
in the Rocky Mountains for an adventure with Outward Bound Canada
For those unfamiliar with Outward Bound, this program provides adventure in the classic sense. It's about dealing with the unknown, meeting challenges, learning about yourself, about others, about the environment and, most of all, about your potential. It compels students to dig deep. The rewards are the hallmarks of Outward Bound – courage, resilience, responsibility, persistence, compassion, service to community, and the ability to work well with others – qualities that last a lifetime. Plans are now in the works for four more Nunavut youths to join another Outward Bound expedition next summer.
Looking ahead, the Ayalik Fund also has arrangements in the works for four other Inuit youth, whose means would not otherwise allow, to attend Encounters with Canada in early 2016. These Inuit students will join other youths from across Canada in Ottawa to learn about each other and their country.
None of this would be possible without your generous support. We urge you to continue this support and to spread the word, so the Ayalik Fund can expand, to serve young Inuit in Nunavut for decades to come.
One of Eric’s dearest friends recounted to us recently that he had told her – shortly before he died – that “one day I will have enough money to go up north and help my family there and other kids in Cambridge Bay.” He had no idea how soon that day would come. Please help to make his dream come true.
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Donations to the Ayalik Fund are eligible charitable donations for income tax purposes.
Administrative costs for the Ayalik Fund are paid privately; every dollar of your donation works directly to support Inuit youth.
Administrative costs for the Ayalik Fund are paid privately; every dollar of your donation works directly to support Inuit youth.
If you have not done so recently, please visit the website, which is updated regularly with news: http://www.ayalikfund.ca/
To donate, please go to: Donations