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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, September 5, 2013 | 14 If Day organizer lauded by Canadian Safety Council by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff The Canadian Safety Council (CSC) has awarded Oakville resident Cheryl Joseph, 17, the Sarah Beth Therien Memorial Scholarship for her efforts to keep her fellow students safe. The $2,500 award recognizes Joseph's organization of a one-day event at Iroquois Ridge High School, which featured 17 workshops, in addition to keynote speakers, to educate students on personal safety topics that school curriculums are often unable to adequately address. Do you know how your grows? Know Your Source garden Fall into Bed with Black & Brown Mulch! (Available at Burlington and Millgrove Yards) Reg. $49 now $ Until Sept. 28. While Supplies Last. 38 per cubic yard! Cash & Carry Bags of most products available. · · · SOILS MULCHES AGGREGATES ROCKERY LINGTON BUR GARDEN SUPPLIES LIMITED 905-336-7725 2273 Dundas St. Burlington, ON VISIT US AT burlingtongardens.ca "I'm really honoured. I know there were "The more I thought about it, the more a lot of entries and I am sure they were all I thought that we needed some source of very deserving," said Joseph. information. Even if it is just for one day," "I was really lucky to get this." said Joseph. Workshop topics included cyber-bully"I started talking to my teacher about ing, mental health, eating disorders, selfthis, we bounced ideas off each other and harm and sexual assault. before I knew it, we had 17 workshops." The forums also identified and addressed In preparing the workshops, Joseph concerns about incidents of violence on and her team conducted surveys and inpost-secondary campuses, and how gradterviewed students and staff for anecdotal uating students can be healthy and take struggles related to personal safety topics. responsibility for their personal safety as The fact safety threats can affect anyone they transition from high school to postinspired the event's theme -- If it can hapsecondary life. pen to me, it can happen to you. The event "I've always wanted to make a difference itself became known as If Day. and change how people think about certain "We are extremely proud of young Catopics," said the high school graduate. nadians like Cheryl who take on creative "I started taking kick-boxing at the beinitiatives and who are committed to imginning of Grade 11. It was mostly girls in proving safety in their homes, school and the group and the instructor taught us self communities," said Jack Smith, president of Cheryl Joseph defence. the CSC. "It made me feel somehow a lot more Joseph is entering her first year of studies comfortable because she would drill it into at McMaster University this month and is us to the point where it almost became secstudying health sciences. ond nature. I felt more comfortable walking alone or walking The scholarship honours the memory of Sarah Beth Therien, a at night and I realized that so many of my friends aren't lucky long-time employee of the Canada Safety Council and a passionenough to have that." ate advocate for child and traffic safety. Joseph also found that as she was entering Grade 12, many of Therien made medical history in 2006 as the first Canadian the students around her were taking more and more risks. organ donor after a cardiac death. Her medical legacy has gone While most of these risks had no consequences in relatively on to save hundreds of lives so far. safe Halton, Joseph became concerned this would not be the case The award is also intended to raise the profile of safety in the when these students left the area for university and college. minds of young Canadians. 30 YEAR WARRANTY! COME SEE US AT THE OAKVILLE HOME SHOW! Glen Abbey Rec Centre, Sept. 6-7 Give us a call! 877.707.7427 905.973.8022