The first Dotty Nicholas Sickle Cell Banquet and Scholarship Award Event was held at Park View Manor, 55 Barber Green Road, North York, on April 10th, 2016.

The evening was one of prestige, and the ambiance of this new venue added to the glitter and glamour of the event. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent.

The moment was further electrified by the brilliance of our hosts, Mr. Sheldon Neil and Richard Newman. Entertainers included songbird Lady Londa Larmond, creative dancer Debbie Nicholls-Skirrett, and speakers Shernett Martin and Joel James, who shared their testimonials of how they triumphed over all odds and attained great professional success.

The keynote speaker, Mr. Garnett Manning, captured everyone’s attention with his message of resilience.

It was a rewarding moment to hear one of the past recipients of the 2015 scholarship testify about the great success she is now attaining at university. The goals and objectives of the DNSCS are to award scholarships over a period of four years to each recipient who is able to demonstrate and maintain a B average, and provide updates on their progress in college or university.

A new day is dawning for Sickle Cell in Canada. While we are busy advocating and lobbying the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and educating the communities, more babies are being born with the disease. Improved care and treatment, so that each child can experience a better quality of life, is of paramount importance.

As Canadians, we who advocate for those with Sickle Cell would like all of our children to have the same opportunity to obtain a good education, so that they can be productive citizens of this great country.