MARIO’S THE MAN Roots employee uses music to teach “underserved” youth valuable life lessons to have nothing to t first glance, eat and not to know Mario Murray how long you’re may seem a little going to be living intimidating with his where you are,” neck tattoos and confisays Mario of his dent manner. But this is childhood in St. a young man with a big Lucia and Canada. heart who cares about “I moved from his community. When house to house behe’s not busy helping cause no one wants customers at Roots to deal with a trouCentral in Toronto’s bled kid. I did whatEaton Centre, Mario ever I wanted, came organizes concerts for home whenever I local artists to share wanted, and didn’t their talents through listen to anyone.” Mario Murray and Ilana Korn, positive music. In his both of Roots Central, at Degrassi Memories of his most recent show last House after Mario’s show past led Mario to month at the Degrassi help others through House, people listened Beatz to Da Streetz. “These to an eclectic mix of spoken their fullest potential. Through things made me who I am toword, rap, R&B, reggae, pop, the music, we bring out how day,” he says. “My upbringing soul and folk music. they really feel first and then helped me to understand their “I put the show on to show- teach them valuable life lessituations better and since it case Toronto’s real rising sons.” These include teaching didn’t get the best of me, bestars,” says Mario, 25, whose humility and discipline, and cause of God and those who stage name is The Voyce. “The increasing self-esteem, buildwere around to strengthen me, focus was on the artists and ing life skills and opening opI wanted to be that same pertheir relationship with the portunities for education and son for others.” community, and through it I finding jobs. Now in his second year of got to see who was really Long before he was ininvolvement with the program, about the community and who volved with Beatz to Da Mario says it has taught him a was all about themselves.” Streetz, Mario himself was a few things as well. “I’ve Being a community man troubled kid growing up in the learned that everyone can himself, Mario spends his small Caribbean island of change and become better peoTuesdays volunteering as a Saint Lucia. When he was ple,” says Mario. “There’s no staff leader at Beatz to Da eight years old, his mother reason not to give someone a Streetz, a Toronto-based nonmoved to Canada to work and chance, even if they’ve profit arts program. There, he prepare a comfortable life for screwed up before. Those are helps “underserved youth” him and his siblings, leaving called mistakes.” develop their creative talents them to fend for themselves. Beatz to Da Streetz runs a through urban music to pro“I know what it’s like to 15-week series of workshops mote positive social change. survive on five dollars a week, for 15 youth led by industry According to professionals and Mario, these youth run out of Centenmight live in shelnial College. ters or be in bad Through these sessituations with drug sions, youth learn dealers or gangs, about urban music and they can’t seem and culture, and hip to get out of such a hop literacy. At the negative reality. end of the program, “There are many they promote, prokids out there in the duce and perform world who are on their own music in a their last hope,” live concert. says Mario. “No • To get involved with one believes in or the Beatz to Da Streetz cares about them program, visit their anymore, so they website at: http:// www.b2ds.ca. won’t really rise to Beatz to Da Streetz: Giving hope to troubled youth
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Issue 62 - December 7, 2006
WALKING FOR A CAUSE Staff at Halifax Shopping Centre store come together to fight AIDS
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ince 2004, Roots employee Anne Theriault has participated in the annual ‘Walk For Life’ to help in the battle against AIDS. This year, she also gained support and participation from her co-workers at the Roots store in the Halifax Shopping Centre. Clad in Roots T-shirts made for the International AIDS Conference held in Toronto in August, Anne’s collegues joined her in the 4 km march through downtown Halifax. “When I saw the crowd of people taking part in the event, I had the wonderful knowledge that I wasn’t just walking for something that I believed in,” says Anne, 24, who is a full-time Keyholder at Roots. “I was walking for something that Roots also cared for deeply. And there is no better support that a person could ask for than having the company you work for stand behind something you care about strongly.” Anne first participated in the ‘Walk for Life’ organized by the Aids Coalition of Nova Scotia (ACNS) when she was acting in a local AIDS-related play. Having been inspired by the thousands of people taking part in the Walk For Life including many who were fighting the disease, she became an active supporter of the event. The ACNS, established in the 1980s, has conducted many fundraising walkathons. Money raised from the events helps to offset medical costs not covered by the Nova Scotia medical system for persons with HIV/AIDS. The Source 9