“He was my be all to end all… the love of my life,” said Wendy Ramsay, the mother of Connor Ramsay who passed away in a tragic car accident two years ago.
Wendy and her family celebrated what would have been Connor’s 20th birthday by hosting a food drive in support of the Bradford Helping Hand Food Bank on Tuesday afternoon.
Connor was tragically killed in a car accident in July 2018 while riding in the passenger seat of a friend's car when it crashed into a tree in the Holland Marsh.
The Ramsays decorated their lawn with balloons and a banner, and between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. friends and family members were invited to stop by with their donations for the food bank.
“I wanted to get at least 20 bags of (food) donations and 20 (monetary) donations via e-transfer to the food bank,” explained Wendy. “Connor always wanted to give back to others, so we always wanted to figure out ways to help.”
Connor was well known in high school for being an active volunteer. He was a junior competitive curler for 11 years and was preparing to attend Ryerson University, with goals of becoming a criminal lawyer.
“He had realities, not dreams,” remembers Wendy. “We weren’t allowed to call them ‘dreams’ because he wanted them to be realities.”
In his honour, Wendy hosts an annual bonspiel to raise money to send kids to curling camp. She also funds a scholarship called the “Connor Ramsay Memorial Scholarship” at Bradford District High School.
“He wanted to travel the world and see how people lived and how he could give back,” said Ramsay. “It was part of his dreams.”
Wendy notes that she couldn't have done these events without the strength and support of her family.
“We need to keep his memory alive,” laments Ramsay. “Everywhere you turned, you saw Connor and his great big smile.”
Wendy vows to keep giving back as long as she lives.
“We just have to keep figuring out ways to give back,” asserts Ramsay. “It’s what Connor would have wanted.”
To make a donation to the Bradford Helping Hand Food Bank in Connor’s memory, send an e-transfer to [email protected] (Password: Connor Ramsay).
