The month seems to grow in significance every year as the Saskatchewan Royal Purple in Prince Albert kicked off the nationwide BrainLove Month on Saturday.
Representatives from clubs across Saskatchewan met at the Days Inn to present their donations the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association (SBIA), and finalize plans to promote brain health, brain research, and brain injury awareness over the next 31 days.
Royal Purple National Director and Chair of the Saskatchewan Royal Purple’s Charity Partnership Committee (SRPA) Sandi Lougheed said it was important to raise awareness about brain injuries.
“Many of the other months recognize the brain, recognize the injured, recognize the survivors, and they’re important, but so is awareness and prevention, and that’s what Brain Love Month concentrates on,” Lougheed said.
“Royal Purple is the only service club in Canada that has as its cause brain injury awareness and prevention. There’s not another one. I mean, there are others who will look at the survivors, but we’re the only one that sole cause is brain injury awareness and prevention,” she added.
Lougheed said Prince Albert is the host each year because of the central location.
“It’s basically close to the middle of the province,” she explained. “People don’t recognize that. But also, Prince Albert has always provided us with the aspect of caring about brain injuries, (and) about those who are brain injured. Wonderful things are happening in Prince Albert.”
The BrainLove campaign kicks off annually in March in conjunction with International Brain Awareness Month and Brain Health Month in Canada.
BrainLove is important but for Purple Thursday, the third Thursday in October, when organizations across the country gather supplies for Care Bags which they give to shelters in their communities. Lougheed said the two are connected because the number of brain injuries occurring from interpersonal violence in Saskatchewan is among the worst in Canada.
“Our population (of) men, women, and children suffering brain injuries (and) from interpersonal violence is, huge, and the thing is, those are the brain injuries that are most preventable because they’re a choice that humans are making,” Lougheed said. “Human to human, we can stop that.”
She said that it will take an education push, and that is why the poster contest each year is important.
“Programming in the schools matters,” she said. “The women, children and men who are in that circle of violence need to reach out for help so that the circle can stop.
“Otherwise, it continues and often the result is somebody is going to get hurt very badly or somebody is actually going to lose their life.”
The Royal Purple is one of four major SBIA sponsors. Over the past 11 years, Saskatchewan Royal Purple has donated $250,000 to a number of charities and groups across the province, all sharing the common goal of brain injury prevention.
This year, donations to Saskatchewan’s shelters will total well over $5,000, as over 1,000 care bags will be distributed. This was made possible in part by annual funding support from the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA).
In addition, SRPA will recognize the 40th anniversary of the Lloydminster and Area Brain Injury Society (LABIS) with a pledge of over $5,000 and a partnership with their Charity Golf Tournament. On Saturday, Royal Purple communities from around the province presented an additional $10,000 by way of cheques.
Lougheed said that the province does not do a great job of letting people know about brain injury associations, so they have to be pro-active.
“We did some research a couple of years ago and realized, holy mackerel, we have two brain injury associations, and in terms of serving in the north, in a population area that requires a lot of assistance, Lloydminster is going to supply that,” she explained. “That’s why we decided to reach out and provide them help.
“Not that we’re not helping the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association that help goes on and we’ve just added them to our list of support.”
Paul Tremblay, Treasurer for the Lloydminster Area Brain Injury Society, said that the support means a lot to the community, organization and people who use the organization.
“We’ve just recently, a year ago, moved into a nice new building, and we’re building up new games and things for people to play, right, to stimulate the brain and it all takes money,” Tremblay said.
He said that LABIS currently serves 20 people but there are more people who could be served.
“We know there’s more out there that don’t know,” he said. “They’re sitting in silence, right? They’re suffering in silence because they’re not aware, so our goal is to get out to the long-term care facilities and different facilities around town and get the word out more and more and more and then hopefully get people get out in the community.”
They serve an area around Lloydminster with the furthest community being Maidstone. He said that people in those communities should be aware of LABIS as well.
“I’m sure there is, and they just don’t know about them, and they don’t know about us,” Tremblay said.
He explained that the money will help with transportation. Most people with a brain injury that take advantage of their facility are on a fixed income.
“Even with the handy van and places like that, it’s expensive, right? In some cases it’s $8 each way, so it’s $16. That’s a lot of money times two if they come twice a week. That’s a big chunk out of their assistance,” Tremblay said.
Lougheed is passionate about helping people heal from brain injuries. She said that passion comes from her husband passing away from an undiagnosed brain bleed.
“I’ve lived the role of the caregiver of the brain injured. I understand the life-changing occurrence that happens when someone has a brain injury. That’s true for many of my friends. When that happened, there was very little to reach out to,” Lougheed said.
“I came very quickly to understand that our province and my role as a volunteer, if our organization could come together, focus on brain injury all across the province, we could make a difference. Nobody else was doing it.”
Lougheed emceed the event, with speeches from Tremblay, Prince Albert Northcote MLA Alana Ross and Prince Albert Mayor Bill Powalinsky. The City of Prince Albert has proclaimed March as Brain Love Month.
Other events hosted by Saskatchewan Royal Purple in support of the SBIA include Purple Thursday, which is held annually in October and the provincial BrainLove golf tournament held in June.
Tremblay thanked the Royal Purple for their support.
“We just appreciate Royal Purple for considering us, finding us and us finding them,” Tremblay said. Lougheed meanwhile thanked everyone for their support.
“Just a huge thank you to our members, but also to every person in Saskatchewan who supports our projects. I mean, each time you support our project, you’re supporting a brain injured person in our province,” Lougheed said.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
