"On November 15, 2008, Manitoba Farmers with Disabilities together with the St. Joseph Knights of Columbus , put on an enjoyable evening with approximately 130 people in attendance. Julien and Lise Brais, Joint-Directors for the MFWD Eastman region did a wonderful job of organizing and handling all the fine details.
There was plenty of information on safety awareness, and lots of representative to help answer any questions. Among those representatives from MFWD were; Director Albert Penner and wife Judy Penner, Chair Derek Armstrong and wife Kim Armstrong, President Neil Enns and wife Bernice Enns, Executive Manager Jill Stafford and husband John Stafford. Several members of the Knights of Columbus were in attendance and opened the evening with a warm welcome to all.
It was especially wonderful to sense the heartfelt support by the St. Joseph residents for their neighbour and friend, Julien and Lise Brais. In the final remarks, Lise gave special thanks to those that came to help during Julien’s accident. There were those who cared for the animals, finished bringing in the crops and completed the field work.
The farming community needs support and it is important to know where one can turn for help. The information evening was helpful in letting farm families understand about our organization and how we can help one another when under serious circumstances.
We were delighted to have Kelvin Heoppner from Golden West Radio as our Master of Ceremonies. We also had time for some good food and good times with entertainer Cornie Remple, a talented Elvis impersonator. He has mastered to impersonate other celebrities such as Sean Connery, John Carey, and Jimmy Stewart, to name a few.
Farming is a good occupation, with wide open spaces and fresh air it is a great way to bring up a family. Under this umbrella, it’s hard to believe that farming is one of the top three most dangerous occupations. The purpose of this information event was to have people become aware of MFWD as a supportive organization, and we wanted to provide farm safety information on injury prevention and fatalities. It’s what this event was all about – wanting people safe. I would like to see the agricultural industry move out of the hazardous occupation category and into one that symbolizes farmer wellness in every aspect; physically, emotionally, and spiritually."
By Jill Stafford
Click the link to see who sponsored the event!
http://www.fwdmanitoba.com/St%20Joseph%20Sponsors1_files/fullscreen.htm
