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12 :â€" é Family’s Christmas parade tribute to Sick Kids, son y‘ November 20 StoufMlIe Secondary students tops In legend poster contest The Regional Municipality of York has announced the winners for the 2014 “Ready. Set. Create!” contest. This contest provides students with an opportunity to select and promote a health related issue that is of concern to them. This year. there were over 150 submissions with more than 220 students participating. First place was awarded to the poster by Cheyenne Scott. Cameron Grosse and Elliot Wood. from Stoufiville District Secondary School. which uniquely depicted the effects of peer pressure, in terms of alcohol. smoking and drugs. and highlighted the importance of the right to refuse. BY SANDRA BOLAN sbolunéflyrmgxom Last year. Ramsey Debaissi was battling the town because his front yards Christmas light display spilled aye; onto the boulevgu’d. V At thé sémé time. his young son was bat- tling acute lymphoblastjc leukemia._ This year. Debaissi has permission from town staff to go all Christmas Vacation on his Reeves Way Boulevard property, as well as hold a parade. So far. there are five floats, a donkey dressed up as a reindeer. a D] and Disney charactels taking part in the Dec. 13 parade. It starts at 5 pm. and goes for 300 metres along Reeves Way from Richard Underhill Avenue to Joseph Todd Road. The street is south of both Hoover Park Drive and the Whitchurch-Stoufiville Public Library. Money will be collected along thé way for Sick Kids Hospital. Donations for the Toronto children's hospital will also be accepted in exchange for photographs taken with Santa and hot chocolate. Last year. Debaissi's home was lit up like the Vegas strip. also to raise money for Sick Kids. His goal was $5.000 but he ended up raising $24,500. he said. SeEond place winner. Stephanie McNeil “I Wanted to take it to another level." he from Newmarket High School. created a poster that displayed the difiiculties young women face with their body size. McNeil's poster also outlined that beauty is based on what is within as opposed to what is seen on the outside. A poster about impaired driving, creat- ed by Rachael Daniels from Keswick High School. received third place in the contest. Daniels stated that there is no “Designated Drunk Driver" and highlighted the impor- tance of making the right choice. The prizes éWardea to the winners were $300. $200 or $100 respectively. This year. he hopes to donate another $10,000. Although Debaissi has been working on his house since June. he won't light it up until after the parade. Debaissi is covering all of the costs associ- ated with decorating his home and hosting the parade and 100 per cent of any money donateq will go to Sick Kids, he said. “ ' "‘i‘rié‘y savé’d my kid’s life.“ Debaissi said of why he is so passionate about fundraising for the Toronto hospital. “We need to 'support them because when we need them. they support us. Hopefully we never need Sick Kids. but it's there." he said. Adrian is now three years old and “doing a lot better. It's a iong mad a bumpy road." Debaissi said. adding Adrian is expected to be in the parade. Spectators are anticipated to come from as far away as Toronto and Cambridge. Debaissi will also be busing in patients and nurses from Sick Kids. “We know exactly how it feels to spend Christmas in a hospital." he said. ,"Every kid desérves to enjoy something for Christmas.” Wunteersamneededtobeoisneycharactersandhe would like more floats. Contact Ramsey Debaissi at 416 8878305 or Iebramsefihotmaitcom COMMUNITY York Region is launching a new contest for the 20 14/ 2015 school year. \Mnners will receive a $500. $300 or $200 gift card respectively. For contest rules. visit york.ca/readyset- create. Registration will open in February 2015. Altmann Iaunchlng llghts for Luca at Boston Plzza For more information. call York Region Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 or 1-866-252-9933. or visit york.ca/henlthy- schools. A Stouffville mstauram hopes to light up Luca ()ennuso's Christmas. Little Luca sufi‘ered severe damage to his brain's control centre Victoria Day after fall- Adrian Debaissi carries Christmas decorations while his dad, Ramsey, erects others on their Reeves Way Boulevard property in advance of the Reeves Way Christmas parade. They‘ll host the event to thank Sick Kids hospital. which the family says saved Adrian. Sunkuw’ Nugulc‘swumn ing into a pool being installed at his family's home. He is undergoing therapy at a 'l‘oronto facility. Boston Pizza is the latest Stoufiville enter- prise to launch a fundraiser to help the (ion- nuso family with its expenses. The resiauram. at Hoover Park Drive and Hwy. 48, has a tree with more than 600 unlit lights on it. For a $5 donation. you can light onv and help the fund. Mayor-elect Justin Altmann will ofiit'ially kick ofi the fundraiser and light the first hulh tonight at 8 pm. More [him $85,000 has been raised for Luca through donations and at fundraisers in Stoufiville and beyond. For more on Luc'a. including other fund- raising efforts. go to: lucaleltulive.c0n1 STAFF PHOTO/NICK IWANYSHYN