Coast Mountain News Thursday, March 26, 2015
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Vol. 31 | No. 6 Thursday, March 26, 2015
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CR Avery to play Music Fest Page 7
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Photo submitted by Jeremy Baillie
BC Lion Rolly Lumbala with SAMS students Victoria Moody, Niamh Cearnaigh, Felicity Walkus-Snow and Charity Edgar at SAMS gym
Community comes together to welcome BC Lions and performers It was a pretty great weekend to be in Bella Coola. Five very special and inspiring guests spent three days in the community relaying a positive message and having fun with the youth. BC Lions players JR LaRose, Rolly Lumbala, and Will Loftus arrived in Bella Coola on Thursday afternoon and the three CFL stars spent the following day delivering workshops to youth at both SAMS and Acwsalcta Schools. The talks focused around ending violence, reaching your potential, and being the best person you can be. LaRose is passion-
ate about many things and carries within him an infectious energy and delivers his story with raw honesty. He credits his successes to his own choices, and takes full responsibility for his own actions. “It’s up to you, it’s about the choices you make,” LaRose told the students. “I had a dream, I know you do too, and it’s totally possible to make that dream come true.” Staff and students were thrilled with the visit, commenting on how relatable and inspiring the three players were. “They spoke about mak-
ing the right choices, not just wanting but also working, having a dream, and stepping over that line to dare to be great,” said SAMS Principal Jeremy Baillie. “It was an incredible message from JR Larose, Rolly Lumbala and Will Loftus.” The fun continued with a Cultural Night at Nuxalk Hall featuring the younger Nuxalk Singers and Dancers, and a Fun Ball tournament in memory of Renee Tallio the following afternoon that left everyone laughing and having a great time. Not only did the teams have to play a very interesting ver-
sion of basketball; they also had to partake in a whole lot of funny antics in between that kept the whole crowd engaged and involved the entire day. That evening the community gathered at Lobelco Hall for an evening of speeches, music, and a whole lot of laughter. “I came here thinking I was going to give you guys a message but it turned it was the other way around,” said Lumbala. “Everyone here has been so welcoming, and to see your culture was amazing and beautiful. It’s been such an experience
to visit Bella Coola and I can’t wait to come back.” Award-winning Cree country artist Shane Yellowbird was on hand to share his story, a first for the artist, who freely admitted that speaking in front of a crowd is terrifying for him. Having grown up with a debilitating stutter, Yellowbird’s speech therapist encouraged him to sing past it, and that’s what got him into music. “I can sing in front of thousands of people but speaking is very hard for me,” Yellowbird shared with the crowd. SEE PERFORMANCE ON PAGE 3
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