The Lakeland Celebrations International FASD Awareness Day

Nine local communities host events to recognize & bring awareness to FASD

The Lakeland Centre for FASD (LCFASD) will be hosting community events throughout the week to bring awareness to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In Cold Lake, the home base of the LCFASD will be welcoming everyone Friday morning for pancakes and then having some fun with their annual mocktail challenge.

“It gets a little competitive,” Tabrina Senz says they have eight teams registered and last year’s champion, 410 Squadron will be returning to defend their title, “they were a lot of fun. We usually have teams that are really into it.” The mocktail challenges is a timed competition where teams has to design the tastiest, and most original, non-alcoholic drink. Judges for the competition will be Lakeland Connect’s Curtis Hargrove and Mayor of Cold Lake, Craig Copeland.

September 9th marks the 18th annual International FASD Awareness Day, in a press release distributed by the Lakeland Centre for FASD it is said that FASD is the number one cause of developmental disabilities in Canada:

“This year also marks another milestone in that it was forty four years ago that FASD was recognized as a medical diagnosis. It was realized then that drinking alcohol during pregnancy causes permanent brain damage to the
unborn child. Today, many years later, FASD continues to be the leading cause of developmental disabilities in Canada and the industrialized world. The latest research indicates that as little as one drink a week during pregnancy results in children having learning, behavioural and attention problems. FASD is a lifetime disability and is preventable.”

“The Lakeland Centre for FASD is working, in our communities, to build awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol in pregnancy, and also supporting the plight of those individuals affected by FASD and their families,” Tabrina says the Lakeland Centre for FASD will be hosting a number of different events in local communities.

September 8, 2017

• Cold Lake: Free Pancake breakfast 8:30am to 11:30am in our office parking lot at 4823 50th street. Mocktail challenge 1:00pm to 2:00pm in the EMCO parking lot.
• Lac La Biche: Open House with free BBQ lunch and mocktails from 11:30am to 1:00pm and see our new office! The new office is located at 10117 102 Avenue.
• Bonnyville: Free BBQ lunch and mocktails at the C2 parking lot from 11:00am to 2:00pm.
• St. Paul: Mocktails and Free BBQ at the Co-op parking lot. 5017 42 st St Paul from
  11:30am to 1:00pm.
• Kehewin Cree Nation: Free Breakfast at 8:30am with presentation from 9am to 11am at the Kehewin Health Centre boardroom to help raise awareness for FASD.
• Frog Lake: Free pancake breakfast at 11:00am, with Mocktail challenge to follow at the Band Hall.
  September 10, 2017
• Elizabeth Metis Settlement: Free brunch starting at 10:00 at the EMS Hall.

September 12, 2017

• Cold Lake First Nations: FASD Workshop 9:30am at the Band Office

September 14, 2017

• Buffalo Lake: Presentation from 11:00am to 12:00pm, free lunch and Mocktails from
  12:00pm to 1:00pm.