By Adam Prudhomme
Staff Reporter
Garrett Mills was known for his caring nature and love of animals.
That’s why it only seemed fitting that the Greater Napanee Emergency Service donated $1,400 to the Lennox and Addington OSPCA in the name of Mills, who died suddenly while playing in a local park in May. Along with his parents Dave and Gwen, a handful of firefighters made the donation to shelter volunteer Anna Callum on Monday evening.
GNES raised the money during a charity car wash, held in the Denny’s parking lot last month.
“It means a lot that the people at the fire department reached out to do this,” said Dave Mills. “As parents you want any way for Garrett to be remembered and to have his impact still felt today, especially on the community. He loved Napanee and was a huge animal lover and I have no doubt that had he been asked himself (where to donate the money) he would have certainly said the Humane Society.”
Mill’s sudden passing at the age of 15 in May was a shock to the community. GNES’ donation in his honour is just one of several ways local residents have rallied behind the grieving family.
“Garrett literally asked me days before he passed what a ‘legacy’ was,” said his father. “Things like this just sort of grow that legacy he said he wanted to leave.”
In keeping with that spirit, Keith Gordon, a family friend, is working to establish ‘Garrettfest’, a benefit concert that will take place Aug. 27 at the Strathcona Paper Centre. A number of local bans, the Saturday Night Glad Rags, KnucKel Head and Trilogy, have all agreed to donate their time while Marie’s Place and Music Fly have donated equipment and Jaybird Digital Arts has donated poster and ticket designs to ensure all money raised can go towards establishing a scholarship in Garrett’s name at NDSS.
Tickets for the event will be $20 and will be available stating Tuesday at Gray’s IDA Drug Store, Marie’s Place and AquaSure Water Systems.
Anyone looking to donate prizes to a raffle table can e-mail Garrettfest@gmail.com.