A first for the Run For Rocky scholarship.
The first Catholic school board students received the Annual GSA Leadership Memorial Scholarship sponsored by the Run For Rocky — an event meant to support Gay Straight Alliances in Windsor-Essex.
Alyssa Lauzon from FJ Brennan Catholic High School and Katie Butler from St. Anne Catholic High School were each awarded $1,500 as part of the scholarship. The pair received their plaques in a short ceremony on Monday at the Windsor Pride office on Pelissier St.
Lauzon is proud to be one of the first Catholic board students to be recognized with the scholarship.
"I think it's really important because I know Catholic schools are said to be opposed to it and it's really good for us to show our schools that it's okay," says Lauzon.
Butler is attending Western University while Lauzon will be attending the University of Windsor.
There are now 17 students who have benefited from the annual scholarship.
Butler is honoured to be recognized with the scholarship because the Run For Rocky has helped change the conversation at her school.
"Because our school did run into those problems where we had the hate messaging a few years back, we've seen a lot of recovery from that," says Butler. "I definitely notice that people are more concerned or at least conscience of what they're saying around the school and people are a lot more supportive of it."
Katie Butler and Alyssa Lauzon are the first Windsor-Essex Catholic School Board recipients of the Annual GSA Leadership Memorial Scholarship sponsored by the Run For Rocky and were presented with their plaques on June 12, 2017. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Rocky's dad, Rob Campana, says it was also a goal to get the Catholic board onside.
"The Catholic board was not on board for a while and that was one of our goals, is to try and get the Catholic board to be a part of the [Gay-Straight Alliances] and get GSAs to make schools feel safe in the Catholic board," he says. "It was very important because kids are kids, doesn't matter what board they're going to."
Nancy Campana says there is still work to do in supporting LGBTQ youth in the region.
"Getting to those parents who have that hurdle, for whatever reason — often it's religion — and just letting them know that there are other parents that they can talk to, there is a support system here, there are churches they can go to that are affirmed and you can still be faithful and still unconditionally love your children and support your children in their home," she says.
The run is held in honour of the Campana's late son, Rocky, who was gay and an advocate within the LGBTQ community.
In 2012, he died at the age of 23 after attempting to take his own life. He suffered from depression.