Let’s make Cory proud
Campaign helping people throughout Membertou
Taliaq, nitaptuk!
Last month I didn’t have a lot to write about and hope you’re all still with me in September.
It’s September already and time seems to always be flying by. Pretty soon we’ll be in a brand new year, and I’ll be here with you every month, sharing the best parts of our Membertou.
The past few months, my social media is blowing up with a family-led campaign that is putting smiles on a lot of Membertonian faces. This campaign is known as Make Cory Proud (#MakeCoryProud). It’s making us smile whenever we see the hashtags, and it’s the perfect reaction. Really, it’s the only reaction one could have.
Why? Cory was always smiling. Always! I really cannot recall a time in my 38 years where I never saw him without a smile or even a mischievous grin. That’s just the type of person Cory Christmas was – a funloving guy who treated everyone so good and always did it with a smile.
In August 2017, Membertou was shocked when we heard that Cory had crossed over into the spirit world with our grandmothers and grandfathers. The community had come together in support of our brother, his incredible family and friends. He was very respected and well loved by many.
When thinking about this topic, I reached out to Membertou for assistance. First, I approached his sister Gail, a Membertou council rep and the one who got the #MakeCoryProud movement started.
“#MakeCoryProud is a hashtag that we used in memory of our brother, Cory, who passed away on August 19, 2017,” she said. “It reflects around the character that Cory was and how he lived his life. Cory had
a passion for helping others, a passion for his culture, a passion for his community, friends and family.”
A beautiful idea. So what was the motivation behind its creation?
“We started this campaign to spread some light and joy within communities as many were dealing with their own battles and loss. And by spreading joy, we were doing acts of kindness and getting others involved. It was like a ripple effect where more people joined in on the movement, from different communities,” said Gail. “There was a young couple who had a baby back in January and this family was able to get everything that they needed from this movement to be comfortable and prepared for this new beginning.”
Gail shared more details about the hashtag with me. The movement started in December 2017 by doing some very simple acts of kindness, including shovelling snow for elders, donating gloves and hats to the folks who needed them, delivering gifts to Celtic Court nursing home and a number of Facebook draws. The draws have been a popular feature on social media and I plan on doing one of my own.
#MakeCoryProud has literally snowballed in Membertou, with several acts of kindness and draws being done by friends and family. Many got involved, doing their own thing to make someone else smile – the same way Cory did himself.
Anyone can be part of this incredible show of compassion by doing an act of kindness and using the hashtag. As sister Gail said, “the more people that get involved, the better!”
Wela’lioq, Christmas Family and friends. Nmultes, nitaptuk!
Adam is a lifelong Membertou resident and the community’s very own Kji Paparazzi. He sends a special thank you to the friends and family of Cory Christmas, and encourages everyone to let out a “ch’yeah” today. Also, an extra special thank you to everyone who shared their photos for this special article. Send love at any time to adamegould@gmail.com.