The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
A legacy lives on
Memory of Kings County teen inspiring others to do good
His field of dreams involved planting his own vineyard.
Wyatt Davies of Canaan may not have seen his grape crop come to fruition, but the friendships and inspiration he cultivated in life continue to bloom and bear fruit.
Wyatt passed away on Oct. 1 at age 17 following a battle with cancer. This was a little over a month after his wish for accessories for his John Deere tractor (a cab, bucket, and backhoe) was granted by Make-a-wish Canada through Green Diamond Equipment Ltd. in Steam Mill.
Thanks to the efforts of a couple of his best friends, Kaj Macvicar and Jake Lewis, a fundraiser in memory of Wyatt for Make-a-wish was held recently at Horton High School, where Wyatt was a student in Grade 12. The initiative raised $3,300.
Macvicar said he was very good friends with Wyatt and knew him practically his whole life. It was “just a natural thing to do this in memory of him.”
The fundraiser involved each class competing to see which could raise the most money with the winning class receiving a big basket of candy. He said support from the school community was “amazing” and it made him extremely happy to see so many people donate and contribute. Macvicar said Wyatt made an impact on everyone he met and he believes this is why the fundraiser did so well.
“When I think of Wyatt, I think of how down to earth he was and how he was such an easy guy to talk to, and how throughout the time he was sick he was never in a bad mood. He always had a positive mindset,” Macvicar said.
Lewis said they wanted to present the final cheque to Make-a-wish and have members of Wyatt’s family there. Options were limited due to COVID-19, but they accomplished this through a recent Zoom call. In a show of appreciation, Make-a-wish sent them a plaque and “thank you” card.
Lewis described Wyatt as “the nicest person in the world” and said he was an amazing friend to both him, Macvicar and many others. Lewis said that when he thinks of Wyatt, he immediately thinks of the kind, positive person he was and how this led to Wyatt quickly making friends. Wyatt’s ability to spread his positive attitude and extend his kindness to anyone he met is perhaps what Lewis will remember most about him.
Lewis said the fundraiser was extremely important to Macvicar and himself in terms of holding an event in memory of their friend while also trying to give back to Make-a-wish.
“It was only right to honour him in such a positive and nice way like the person he was,” Lewis said. “Wyatt would help out anybody who needed a hand with anything and could look at any situation from a positive perspective, encouraging others to want to be like him.”
He said the fundraiser wouldn’t have been possible without the outstanding support of the students and teachers. Lewis said the candy basket was a nice add-on but it certainly wasn’t the reason why the fundraiser was so well supported. It was because so many people knew Wyatt and knew the great person he was. The success demonstrates the positive impact Wyatt made on the school community.
“When I am older, I would be extremely happy with myself if I could be half as nice of a person that Wyatt was,” Lewis said.
PROUD PARENTS
Wyatt’s dad, Jeff Davies, said he was very touched by the fundraiser in memory of his son – but he wasn’t surprised.
“I’ve known these two boys for quite a few years. Wyatt was best friends with them,” Davies said. “It is a testament that there are some great teenagers and young adults coming up in our society.”
Davies said he doesn’t think this is the last we’ll see of Macvicar and Lewis doing things for special people. When asked what he thinks of Wyatt continuing to inspire others, Davies said his son did this his entire life but in a quiet way.
However, he said more and more stories like this have come out in the end from people Wyatt touched and inspired.
“I kind of feel like it’s a compliment as a parent,” Davies said.
Wyatt’s mom, Shelley Parsons, said she wasn’t surprised either when Macvicar and Lewis told her about the fundraiser.
“Jake and Kaj are amazing young men,” she said. “They are polite, athletic and standup guys that will do well in their lives.”
Parsons said Macvicar knew her son for pretty much his entire life, as they became friends early on during their time at Port Williams Elementary School. It was through Acadia Minor Hockey that Wyatt first met Lewis and they played together on the same team several times over the years.
Parsons said she is very proud that Macvicar and Lewis took the initiative to hold the fundraiser for MakeA-wish. Receiving his wish of tractor accessories was very important to Wyatt and he “was so very proud of those that made it happen for him.”
When asked at his wish presentation on Aug. 28 what he thought of the level of support, Wyatt said he was “blown away” by the number of people in attendance.
“It really meant a lot,” Wyatt said.
INSPIRING OTHERS
Parsons said Wyatt certainly continues to inspire others. A bench in his honour was donated by a local family and installed recently on the Harvest Moon Trail.
She said her running group has sold more than 250 Wyatt’s Warriors shirts, raising a few thousand dollars in her son’s memory. The money will go toward three causes that Wyatt believed in: MakeA-wish, the Terry Fox Foundation, and the Family Fund for the IWK hospital’s oncology and hematology floor.