Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

Ieweras Gray was a strong, beautiful, young woman who was battling Leukemia. In life she was giving, and through her terrible battle she thought of others and their families who were going through what she was going through. She also believed in her culture and unity, and after she lost her fight at age sixteen, her family took up her vision.

The Ieweras Gray Foundation was established to help other families endure the hardships of not only watching loved ones suffer, but also their families who deal with travel, medicine and other expenses.

The organization is raising money to this end and they are selling T-Shirts, flags and other merchandise. They are also organizing a Benefit concert in August at the Frogtown Speedway with noted artists Keith Secola, Murray Porter, Dirty Blues Project, Arcane Belief and others to be announced.

James Gray, Ieweras's father, is spearheading the drive and said he went to the top to get his project going. He found a gap that needed filling.

"We had a meeting with the Canadian Cancer Society. I told them I know what you do, you give money to hospitals for research, doctors, and whatever it is, but I asked them what do you do for the families?"

They replied, nothing.

"That's what our foundation is formed for, we do it for the families," said Gray.

"Whatever we make on this [August] concert will go to families who have sickness, whether it be cancer, and whatever illness kids have. We are trying to gear it toward kids first, but we are going to help young adults and families," said Gray.

Their Speedway concert is their first big fundraiser. Some artists volunteered, but getting the big name acts from Toronto and other places takes money, so they helped out for the cause.

"They are in the business of making money when they sing, but they did give us a huge discount on their price, and a couple of them said no problem they just want to sing, and the majority of the local ones they said we just want to sing and help out," said Gray.

Some wanted to come but were unable due to scheduling. The ones that do make it Gray said he hopes to have a social/meet and greet the night before so fans can get pictures and autographs.

Gray said next year they hope to have a bigger one too, and it will be a two-day event.

The money raised from the concert will be pooled and the families will have to apply. The foundation board of directors will determine who gets funded based on their criteria.

This Board of Directors is voluntary and no one gets paid a cent. Their money goes into an account and collects interest while it's determined which family receives it.

The Foundation received advice from the Fightin Whities who know about raising money.

In 2002 the University of Northern Colorado's (UNC) Intramural basketball team jumped into the battle against using Native Stereo-typing in sports teams, particularly the nearby Eaton High School "Fighting Reds" whose mascot they perceived was offensive. In protest they renamed their school's logo the "Fighting Whites" and the media misspelled them as the Fightin Whities. This caught on and UNC received national attention. As a result they became popular and T-shirt sales took off.

The money from the T-Shirts and other merchandise was enough for them to make a $100,000 donation to UNC and part of this went to a Minority Scholarship fund.

"The guy who formed the Fightin Whities, he works with us and he is the one who talked to us about endowments.

Members of the Ieweras Gray Foundation presenting a donation to Britney Truelove, mother of 14 month old Alex Lazore who is battling a brain tumor at CHEO in Ottawa, to help with any expenses i.e. travel, food. Photo courtesy of Mitch Gray.

The Ieweras Gray Foundation is also in partnership with the first year Seaway Valley Venom who play out of Massena. Although they are helping families of sick children they are supporting the Venom and in turn football is helping the Grays' cause.

Ruben Brown recently visited the Venom during their practice. He played for the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League.

He is a Nine time pro-bowl, four time All-Pro and was on the Bears NFC championship team in 2006.

He also runs the Ruben Brown Foundation, which raises money for athletic programs for schools in Western New York. He has also received many more awards for his charity work and he wants to work with the Ieweras Gray Foundation.

"He is talking about sitting on (our) board of directors and he told me he is going to work with the Buffalo Bills to do something for us," said Gray.

The Foundation is also the recipient of a Motorcycle Ride to be held before the Speedway concert and this will also be held at the racetrack.