Saskatchewan Prevention Institute presents
An evening with Sheldon Kennedy
With a screening of the documentary “SWIFT CURRENT”
Thursday, October 5, 2017
TCU Place, Saskatoon, SK
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Doors Open at 6:00 p.m.)
“Why I Didn’t Say Anything: The Sheldon Kennedy Story” will be available for purchase. Book signing to be held.
FREE ADMISSION and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (14A)
Cash donations appreciated with profits benefitting Respect Group, Saskatchewan Abilities Council, and Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation.
Concession available: no outside food or drinks allowed.
Purchase tickets to enter draws for prize packages!!
See www.skprevention.ca/prizes for a list of prize packages available. (Check back often, as prizes updated frequently.)
Sponsored by Cameco and Cuelenaere LLP – Cuelenaere Kendall Katzman & Watson
The Saskatchewan Prevention Institute is pleased to be bringing Sheldon Kennedy to Saskatoon in October 2017. The Institute is a provincial, non-profit organization with a mandate to reduce the occurrence of disabling conditions in children. We work in a variety of areas, one of which is the prevention of child abuse.
Sheldon Kennedy was sexually assaulted over a period of 5 years by his hockey coach, Graham James. It became a very public issue within the hockey community and beyond. The biggest questions asked were, “how could this happen?” and “why didn’t anyone know?” Sheldon lived for many years in the shadow of the abuse. However, he decided to take a stand that would have implications for many, by charging his former coach and going public with his story. He has become a strong advocate promoting better response to child abuse in Canada.
Unfortunately, many children in Saskatchewan experience abuse. Although old, these publicly available statistics help to paint the picture of child abuse in our province. In 2012, Saskatchewan had the second highest rate of police-reported cases of child abuse in Canada. In 2008, there were almost 9,000 child welfare cases investigated in Saskatchewan. There are multiple long-term impacts on the physical, mental, and emotional health of an individual who has experienced abuse as a child.
As a province, we need to talk openly about this issue. It is important for us to understand that children are most at risk for abuse, not from a stranger, but from a person who is trusted by not only the child, but the child’s family. Parents need the knowledge and resources to protect their children. Our society needs to be prepared to protect those children who are not protected by their families.
On Thursday, October 5, 2017, the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute is hosting a public evening with Sheldon Kennedy at TCU Place in Saskatoon. The documentary of his life, “Swift Current”, will be shown and there will be a chance to hear from Sheldon and learn from his experience. The event will be open to the public, including youth 14 years of age and older.
To learn more about our organization, please visit www.skprevention.ca. To learn more about Sheldon Kennedy’s organization, please visit: http://www.sheldonkennedycac.ca/.