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MERRITT HERALD FREE
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2014 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
NO CRABBY FACES HERE The second annual Rotary Club of Merritt Crab Fest was a huge success raising $33,000 before expenses. That amount surpasses last year’s total by $8,000. Proceeds from the event will go to the Merritt Cinema Society to put toward its movie theatre project and to the food bank for its children’s nutrition program. In total, 680 pounds of crab was cooked for the event. There were 287 people in attendance for the event, which was held at the Civic Centre on May 10. Last year’s event cost about $12,500 in expenses. Michael Potestio/Herald
Olympian Clara Hughes riding to town Tuesday By Emily Wessel THE HERALD
newsroom@merrittherald.com
Merrittonians will have a chance to meet with dual Olympian Clara Hughes next week as she stops in at the Civic Centre on her cross-Canada bike tour to break the stigma around mental health issues. Hughes is the spokesperson for Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk campaign, which Clara’s Big Ride supports. The 41-year-old Manitoban athlete also has
a personal connection to the cause: she has struggled with depression. The accomplished cyclist and speedskater will speak at the Merritt event on Tuesday evening after she arrives in Merritt from Hope. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. with a performance by the Nicola Valley Community Band and features a hotdog barbecue meal for $5 and a silent auction. Local entertainers and speakers will follow,
and Hughes will speak between 7:15 and 7:45 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit Nicola Family Therapy, which offers counselling services to families, individuals and couples in the Nicola Valley. Nicola Family Therapy counsellor and “community champion” for the event MJ Berezan said while the event has been plenty of work to organize, there has also been plenty of support for the cause. However, Berezan said
she and other organizers are still looking for volunteers and auction prizes, and anyone interested can call her at Nicola Family Therapy at 378-9222. “We’d like to give her a good welcome and support the cause,” Berezan said. Nicola Family Therapy’s main mandate is to provide counselling to women and children affected by domestic violence, and they also have contracts with the Ministry of Children and Family Development and
one with NVIT. People who fall under those contracts can access counselling services for free. However, counsellors occasionally see people who can’t afford the fee-forservice rate and who don’t fall under the contracts for services, Berezan said. The money raised at Tuesday’s event will go toward filling that service gap. “Any money that we raise is going to help us to continue to provide services
See ‘Event aims’ Page 3
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to community members and particularly people who don’t fit under our current contracts,” she said. “We’re quite excited about that.” She said the ability to serve those seeking counselling is needed in Merritt. “Often, we get people referred or coming in or self-referred that don’t really fit under any of those, and yet they definitely have some issues,” Berezan said.
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