(TORONTO, April 19, 2013) – Blair Williams was enjoying the Canada Day long weekend along with friends at a cottage. After a long day filled with fun and drinking, that night he decided to take a walk alone. He ended up on the edge of the dock contemplating diving or walking into the water. Due to his impaired state of mind, he dove in and broke his neck in the shallow water. Unable to feel or move his limbs, he was discovered minutes later and he’s now quadriplegic. On May 2, Blair will share his story with youth at Nipissing First Nation as part of the No Regrets Live presentation, a program of Parachute.

No Regrets Live is an energetic and empowering presentation designed to arm high school students with the knowledge to prevent injuries with smart thinking. The show combines clips of young people having fun taking smart risks with more sober images of the results of poor choices that led to injury. The video features famous Canadians, whose lives have been affected by injury, such as George Stroumboulopoulos. The presentation includes a live talk by someone who has experienced a preventable injury, in this case Blair, or who has been deeply affected by a preventable injury. Presenters speak candidly about how injury has affected their lives, while presenting positive choices to reduce the risk of injury: Buckle Up, Look First, Wear the Gear, Get Trained and Drive Sober. The show also features a question and answer segment.

View a two-minute trailer for the show.

About Parachute

Parachute is a national, charitable organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives. Parachute officially came into being in July 2012 and unites the former organizations of Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada into one leader in injury prevention. Parachute’s injury prevention programming and advocacy efforts are designed to help Canadians reduce their risks of injury while enjoying long lives lived to the fullest. For more information, visit www.parachutecanada.org.

Contact

Media are welcome to attend the show at 36 Semo Road, Garden Village, Ont., on May 2nd at 1p.m. and/or to speak with Blair Williams.

To arrange interviews or to attend the show, please contact:

Emily Driscoll, Coordinator, Youth Programs at 647-776-5118 or edriscoll@parachutecanada.org

Shenieka Russell-Metcalf, Youth Program Associate at 647-776-5106 or srussell-metcalf@parachutecanada.org

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