Thank you to all of our community members who attended our first MAD-FACTS – Moms and Dads: Family Awareness Cancer Threat Spike meeting at North Strabane Park on June 15th. The meeting was a great success and it wouldn’t have been possible without the concerned residents and impacted families who attended. It was an important step towards bringing awareness to oil & gas concerns in our communities that affect our health and wellbeing. This meeting was held in collaboration with Janice Blanock, a concerned resident and CCJ member who wants to bring awareness to rare childhood cancers. Her hard work and dedication to her family and community is something we all are inspired by.
At the meeting we broke off into small groups to discuss impacts from the oil and gas industry in our community. This gave each attendee a chance to voice their concerns and learn from one another. Sometimes residents don’t feel comfortable talking about their concerns about oil & gas exploration for fear of being ostracized. This meeting gave people a safe place to discuss what is happening in their backyard and to work together to come up with ideas that can be developed into achievable actions in the future. Our small group discussions were so lively that we lost track of time and realized we had so much more to say that we are looking forward to continuing our discussions next month. Folks in attendance seemed eager to share what they had learned with their friends and family, and we encouraged them to bring a friend to our next gathering!
Our next MAD FACTS meeting is scheduled for July 26th at 6:30 p.m. at the Borland Pavilion in North Strabane Park. The pavilion is conveniently located next to the playground so that childcare is not a barrier for families to attend. Dr. Ned Ketyer will be presenting “Fracking Makes People Sick. How is that?” We will also be discussing how to document what you are witnessing near your home and how to report it. All are welcome to join us in learning more about how we can work together to create a healthier and more sustainable community where we can all thrive.