Sheldon Kennedy (BlackburnNews.com file photo by Mike Vlasveld)Sheldon Kennedy (BlackburnNews.com file photo by Mike Vlasveld)
Midwestern

Goderich hosts Sheldon Kennedy Friday

Former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy is coming to Goderich Friday.

Rural Response for Healthy Children invited Kennedy to speak at the Knight's of Columbus Centre in Goderich.

Kennedy was abused by a coach as a minor hockey player and has since become an advocate for a child advocacy centre in Calgary.

Rural Response Executive Director Selena Hazlitt says Kennedy will talk about how to make social change from the trauma that he experienced.  He'll also talk about the work he's done creating respect groups, and how that's evolved into an initiative that was created by Swift Current, Saskatchewan called Safe Places.

The Safe Places program has spread across Canada and Huron County is one of the first regions to implement the program.

"We do a lot of work with young children in educating them on their rights and personal safety strategies that they can implement to know when to identify trusted adults and to make sure they speak up and that they keep talking until they're heard", explains Hazlitt.

Kennedy will be speaking at the Columbus Centre in Goderich, starting at 9 a.m. on Friday.

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