News Article

Angels Among Us


6/14/2002 1:00:37 PM


Jack Cook displays a 2001 award from the Janeway Rehabilitation Children’s Centre for outstanding support provided to patients and their families.

By Tanya Alexander

June 14, 2002 - Some say there are people walking this earth who are angels. In fact there are 109 children in the Bay St. George area and their families who would attest to it. When these children were sick, people they had never met helped them get the medical care they needed. It’s likely that these children would tell you they believe.

Jack Cook must be one of those angels. He is treasurer of the Bay St. George Sick Children’s Foundation. In fact, he seems to be the face, feet and heart of the not-for-profit organization. It’s his face you see on your television during the annual telethon, along with Foundation President Pat Merrigan; his footwork gets donation canisters out to local businesses; and it’s his heart that goes out to the children and families as he writes the cheques that pay for travel to medical centres far from their homes.

Cook and the other four board members: Merrigan, Baden Clouter, Vice President, Denis Burke, Secretary, and Max Snow, Director, have been diligently raising money to give to sick children for the travel and accommodation expenses incurred on these trips. At this year’s March 24th telethon, they reached an all time high in the organization’s six-year history - $54,000.

Don Murphy is a Journalism instructor at College of the North Atlantic. He, along with his second-year students (and some first-year students), has been the visual specialist behind the scenes of the televised fundraisers. Murphy has worked with the Sick Children’s Telethon since its first TV Broadcast in 1996, aired from College of the North Atlantic’s television studios under his direction.

When the College was approached for assistance with the telethon, Murphy immediately offered his services. His students were already using the College’s studio and community channel for their newscasts, but this was something not connected with the program. His students would have hands-on experience and they would be helping to raise money for a worthy cause.

Both groups were surprised and delighted with the outcome – they raised $27,000, augmented by an additional $20,000 donated later by the employees of the Abitibi Consolidated paper mill. Since then, the Foundation hasn’t looked back and has increased the amount raised each year. However, says Cook, each year there are also more children.

“The first year we helped eight children,” he says. “Last year we had 45… you can see where this is going.”

Just last year alone the Foundation helped children and families make 109 trips, gave 121 subsidized air tickets with Air Labrador, and paid for 630 nights of accommodations.

“It’s an ongoing thing, and we already have 16 children since April 1,” says Cook.

Neil Bishop is the Coordinating Instructor of the Recording Arts program at the College. He and his students (the program was then known as Sound Technology) came on board for the second telethon. With his sound engineering expertise and the help of his students, the sound quality of the program increased. Again, it benefits all involved.

“It doesn’t cost the Foundation anything, the Journalism students get to concentrate on the visual aspect of it, and my students get to use what they’ve learned in their Sound Reinforcement courses,” says Bishop.

“And it’s nice to have the two programs working together.”

Once the telethon grew in size (they had more performers and those from the community who wanted to come by and watch the telethon in person) they moved it to the Stephenville Lion’s Club. Here, members of the community, long lines of performers, and even the children helped by the Foundation, come to show support. Still, says Cook, the telethon wouldn’t happen without College of the North Atlantic and its staff.

“I don’t know what we’d do without Don and Neil and their students. There wouldn’t be a telethon.”

The Bay St. George Sick Children’s Foundation is the only organization of its kind in Newfoundland, and is the only one outside of St. John’s that has been recognized by the Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre for its “…outstanding support provided to (their) patients and their families.”

Cook feels good about the recognition, but says there’s nothing that beats seeing the children they’ve helped go on to lead healthy lives.

“The thank-yous from families are reward enough.”

The Sick Children’s Foundation is a registered charitable organization, and tax receipts are available, if required. To apply for assistance, or to give a donation, please call Pat Merrigan: (709) 643-2932 or Jack Cook: (709) 643-4451, or write to:

Bay St. George Sick Children's Foundation
P.O. Box 492
Stephenville, NF
A2N 3A3

-30-

For more information contact:

Stephen Lee
Communications Manager
(709) 643-7928

or

Tanya Alexander
Public Information Officer
(709) 634-7928