A Cobourg family organized a fundraiser last Saturday to start hauling in funds for a mental health foundation they seek to build after losing their 12-year-old son to suicide last August 21.
Losing a child over a mental health crisis is never easy but amidst the pain and the tears, Chazz Petrella's family seeks to extend help to other families who share their undertaking. According to Janet Ashby, Chazz mother, the foundation they are aiming to build serves to assure families and their children that in the event a case of mental health issue surfaces, they will have help readily available for them.
Ashby says that the amount of people who came in to take part in the fundraiser is overwhelming. She says that throughout the day, they had a lot of support from the community.
Frank Petrella, Chazz's father told the crowd that the family has drawn comfort from them amount of people who support them and most especially from those who came to the fundraising event to talk to them.
According to the organizers of the event, there were around 400 people who came to the fundraiser throughout the day.
Chazzapalooza shirts were sold throughout the day and everything was sold-out by early evening. A raffle for a Fender guitar which has been autographed by Avril Lavigne (whose cousin is a relative of Frank) also became a hit.
Former Canadian Idol Zack Werner, Cobourg pianist and internet sensation Michael McNamara and rapper Lil Jaxe were among those who graced the event with their performances. Several local bands have also performed throughout the day.
Recently, the family has sought a coroner's inquest into the death of their son in order to uncover just about any service gaps that may serve helpful for other children who are suffering a mental health issue like their son.
