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The Huron Expositor • October 21, 2009 Page 9
Picture drawn by 11 -year-old with cerebral palsy
chosen as safety poster for construction company
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A picture Seaforth's Ross McGrath
drew of his dad Dan pushing him
in his wheelchair has been chosen
as the 2010 safety poster for Aecon
Group Inc., Canada's largest con-
struction and infrastructure devel-
opment company.
The poster reads, "Safety First - I
want my. dad to always be able to
walk. I have a disability and cannot
walk.".
It was drawn at the 11-year-old's
kitchen table when his dad came
home from work at Bruce Power
last year and suggested Ross submit
some artwork for a company safety
calendar.
Aecon publishes a safety calendar
every year and its 6,000 employees
from around the world are invited
to have their children or grandchil-
dren ages 5-12 submit a drawing.
But, for the first time this year, the
construction company decided to use
Ross's drawing as its annual safety
poster, which is usually designed by
professional graphic artists.
"Because Ross's picture was so
moving, so poignant, we decided to
use it for the poster," says Nicole
Court, Aecon communications direc-
tor.
Court says using a child's work.for
the safety poster is a unique situa-
tion the company may or may not
do again. She says Ross's message
about wanting his dad to continue to
be able to walk fit in perfectly with
this year's theme of fall prevention.
The poster will go up at 250 Aecon
locations around the globe.
"Ross thinks about safety a lot. We
hear, `Be careful,'
pretty regularly
around here,"
says Dan.
. A licenced pipe -
fitter, Dan says
he hears often
about the need
for safety at his
workplace but
adds that receiv-
ing the message
from children,
especially his
own, has a bit
more impact.
"We all get
complacent at
work and think
it can't happen
to me," he says.
He adds that hearing a safety mes-
sage from an 11 -year-old boy with
cerebral palsy who cannot walk can
break through the complacency,
"You've got a gift you don't realize.
You're up on your own two feet and
think," he says. a backpack full of art supplies along
While the family was excited when with a $2,000 cheque to go towards
Ross's artwork was chosen for the his education at an awards' presen-
2009 safety calendar, they . couldn't tation in Toronto recently.
believe it at first when it was chosen He received three copies of the
as the 201.0 poster. poster - one is now hanging in the
"When they Plumbers and Pipe Fitters union
called, I thought hall in Kitchener, one is displayed
they were pull- at St. James School where Ross is
ing my leg," says in Grade 7 and one is up in Ross's
Dan. bedroom.
Ross received "It's pretty neat," says Ross.
John Beck, chair-
man and CEO of
Aepon Group, pres-
ents a copy of a
poster created by
Ross McGrath to
him and his family.
submitted photo
Ross won't ever
be. That's why
it hits home. It
makes people
Huron -Perth
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FOSTER FAMILIES
NEEDED FOR SCHOOL
AGED CHILDREN!
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For information Call the Huron -Perth
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Huron County: Deanie Jardine at
519-524-7356 or 1-800-265-5198
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