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Kindness has overcome bullying in one northern Manitoba community. Carleen Denell Fosseneuve posted on Facebook about how her grandson was bullied and his hockey card collection stolen, and many people reached out to help him rebuild his collection.
“Kindness always wins,” said Wynston Martin, a 7-year-old St. Louis Blues fan from Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), while being interviewed with his mother and grandmother on CTV News.
He thanked everyone for all the hockey cards that were donated to him.
OCN is near The Pas, around 62o kilometres north of Winnipeg. The reserve is well known by many Manitobans for its successful junior hockey team, the OCN Blizzard.
“The outpour of love in true hockey spirit has reached so many and his story resonates with many of us his collection is growing, much gratitude to you all!” Fosseneuve, said on Facebook.
Martin was waiting at a bus stop when two children allegedly bullied him and stole his hockey card collection. Fosseneuve saw that he was distraught and wanted to do something to help him feel better.
“We were all pretty upset. Seeing him upset like that, I guess anybody would relate, have empathy for their child and their grandchild being bullied like that. The intention was to just try to make him feel better,” she said.
She posted a message on Facebook asking people to give him some hockey cards to help build back his collection.
“Last week while he was waiting to get on the bus Wyston was bullied and two young men stole his hockey card collection … I am asking if anyone would like to donate a card or two it would help Wynston rebuild his collection,” Fosseneuve wrote on Facebook. “The act of generosity and kindness would be so appreciated.”
Fosseneuve got an immediate and far-reaching response.
“We had some kids up in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, they were collecting cards for Wynston. We had messages from Vancouver. Some messages from the States in Chicago,” said Fosseneuve.
His family and friends were planning on giving him cards for his birthday, but now he has them sooner, along with many others. His mother, Brooke McDavid, said it made him very happy.
“We would like to thank everyone for sending cards for Wynston, and your kindness. He is sorting them right now, he’s so happy sure made his day. His collection is growing each day,” McDavid said on Facebook.
Martin and his mother got to watch his favourite team take on the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 24. Posts on Facebook show them holding up a sign saying, “Kindness Always Wins, Love Wynston.”
