On Saturday, May 25th, at the Michel-Normandin arena, 100 outstanding young people were rewarded for their acts of bravery, their resilience and their kindness at the Sun Youth Avi Morrow 40th Annual Bike Distribution.
“If you are here today, it is because an adult took the time to write to us and tell us about you”, said Sun Youth’s spokesperson, Meeker Guerrier. “Maybe it’s your parents, your grandparents, your teacher. This is NOT a contest you won. You are here today because of your good deeds, your courage, your perseverance”. Guerrier has faced adversity himself in the last few years and has shown admirable resilience. He served as a wonderful role model for all the youngsters present.
This program has been made possible by the generous contribution of the Morrow family. Over the years more than 2,100 new bicycles have been distributed thanks to the late Mr. Morrow’s exceptional generosity. This ceremony was always a way for him to shine a spotlight on the kids who are impacting their community; whether by helping someone in an emergency, by facing difficult circumstances with extraordinary courage, or by taking the initiative to raise funds for a cause dear to their heart.
Resilience, bravery, and kindness guided the actions of these young people. Here are some of the children who were rewarded on Saturday.
Alejandro came up with the idea for a « Friendship Bench », a yellow-painted bench in his schoolyard where kids can sit down if they have no one to play with or a problem to solve.
12 year-old Marwane showed immense courage in rescuing his sister from inevitable drowning last summer.
With her classmates, Maram started a fundraising initiative by selling cookies and bracelets they made. The money was donated to a foundation that supports pediatric cancer research.
Emma has many medical challenges. Despite these hardships, she is dedicated to helping others. She raises money for the Montreal Children’s Hospital and Shriners Hospital.
After a great day at the Sun Youth Avi Morrow Bike Giveaway, we are looking forward to seeing our heroes spend a two-wheeled season in the sun. Participants also had the opportunity to sign up for the Garage 529 bike theft prevention platform.
Thank you to all who made this day a great one, the SPVM team Commandant Brunet and Commandant McDermott, our spokesperson Meeker Guerrier, our selection committee volunteer Joanne Doucet, and Nadège Gaillard from Vélo-Québec, Jeffrey Billeter and the Santé vélo team, volunteers from Actoran, CIM Conseil and Groupe Petra, as well as all our participants, and of course the Morrow family.
