The Dakota Foundation for Bipolar Awareness celebrated and honoured GoSkate Day on June 21 and were happy to receive a donation of $14,625 from Erin Kirke on behalf of the Kaine it Forward fund.
These funds have been a year long culmination of donated gifts to honour Erin Kirke’s son Kaine, who sadly lost his life to the poison drug supply epidemic. On hand to receive the cheque was Ken Millen, President of Dakota Foundation for BiPolar Awareness.
“We are truly grateful to Erin for choosing the Dakota Foundation as their charity of choice. Often the biggest hurdle is in getting the diagnosis right.” said Ken Millen, president for Dakota Foundation.
“The Privacy Act and access for parents and family members who want to support their children with treatment so that they don’t resort to street drugs are key limitations in the current mental health care system. Our partnership in funding the work done through Healthy Essentials, shows a different way to diagnose and support children of all ages suffering with mental health and addictions.”
Family and friends gathered at Kelowna’s Stuart Park on Wednesday evening to honour Kaine with a t-shirt and food sale fundraiser where all proceeds would go towards the Kaine it Forward Fund.
“If even one life can be saved through this then Kaine’s life, and death mattered,” said Erin Kirke. “As so many have, Kaine started down a harmful path, flirting with drug use to numb himself as he navigated his way through his late teens and early adulthood. He knew it wasn’t a path that he wanted to be on and tried several different avenues to find support and to keep himself sober, and was making progress until that fateful day,”
“He struggled to find the path that fit best, and ultimately it was in one weak moment, when he reached out to obtain his drug of choice, that he was poisoned and will now never be able to choose again. As his mother, I cannot tell you how enraging this is… how devastating this is… how life altering it is, for not only myself but for the rest of his family and friends. One moment of weakness should never be a death sentence. It’s been a difficult year, but helping others not face the same situation has kept us all going.”
The Kaine it Forward Fund was created following his passing with the hope his family could turn pain into purpose. That closely follows the mission of the Dakota Foundation for BiPolar Awareness. You can help make a difference by donating at kaineitforward.com
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