by Lucie Roy
Morinville News Correspondent
The United Steel Workers Local 1207 have presented the Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation (JMMF) with a cheque for $33,000. The monies were presented Sunday morning at the start of the JMMF run during Festival Days. Ray White, President of the United Steel Workers Local 1207, Ivana Niblett, Chairperson of the Women’s Committee, and Scott Ruston, 1st Vice- President presented the cheque to Lynne Rosychuk, President of the Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation (JMMF).
Rosychuk said the money would go strictly to the JMMF shelter housing project that will be built on land given to the Foundation by the Town of Morinville earlier this year. They hope to break ground on the building this year.
President Ray White said union members were at the Alberta Federation of Labour Convention a couple of months ago when the idea came up to fund JMMF.
“Ivana, our women of steel committee chair, went up to the microphone and explained it was the 8th anniversary of Jessica’s death and that we would be running in this run today,” White said. “People started donating money and getting up to the mic with challenges. We ended up raising thirty-three thousand dollars. It was a very proud moment for Labour in Alberta, and the new home will be the house that labour built.”
The cheque presentation took place at the start of the annual 5-kilometre and 10-km run/walk. Sunday’s event was the 5th Annual Jessica Martel Memorial Run.
A large group of students from Namao school took part in the run along with hundreds of other participants.
Amounts raised were not available by our press deadline.
