To the Editor
It’s been a year since our family and our community has lost Phoenix Acero and we want to express our deepest gratitude for the support we have felt from so many of you. From the countless people who donated to the GoFundMe campaign to our closest friends and family that came together and helped in every way they could in our deepest hours of mourning. And to businesses over the year such as Mathew Madelyn Haliburton Dance Academy and Visible Voices Open Arts Studio who have been a tremendous support not only to us but to many youths in our community – we thank you for all you do and for helping make this world a kinder place. To Phoenix’s friends the stories and pictures you have shared with us have put many smiles on our faces – and we thank you endlessly for being open and sharing both your grief and your memories with us during this difficult time. And to the families of Phoenix’s friends your friendship and support mean the world to us so many of you are supporting your kids grandkids and the youth of Haliburton in remarkable ways.
Our grief will always be a part of us we will certainly never forget Phoenix so we will always feel that loss. Grief does not stop after a year or 10 years but do we know in time it will soften to some degree. Our family continues to honour Phoenix’s memory in many ways and this year we started thephoenixfoundation.ca in hopes of developing scholarships to encourage and support local youth as they plan their futures. If you have skills or opportunities to share with youth please go to our Contribute page and let us know how you would like to be involved.
Thank you again to the community for the support you have offered both our family and the youth in the community through your efforts from the Haliburton Junction Skate Park to the future youth hub and for the many articles written in The Echo and The Highlander this year that have addressed youth bullying and the issues they are faced with. As Martin Luther King Jr says “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?” and we thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely
The Acero Family