By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
Purple Ribbon Campaign spreads across Haldimand County
HAGERSVILLE—A fundraiser dedicated to offering a cash reward for any information leading to an arrest in the hit-and-run death of 23-year-old Alex Dalton of Hagersville is nearing its target of $50,000, sitting at $45,444 as of publication.
This represents a sharp jump following fundraising and awareness efforts by friends and family of Alex through the Purple Ribbon Campaign, which has now blanketed Hagersville, Caledonia, and Jarvis in purple and blue ribbons in Alex’s memory.
HAGERSVILLE—Shown is one of the various street-facing signs that were donated in Hagersville helping to raise awareness and funds for a reward in the case of Alex Dalton’s death. —Photo courtesy of Steve Slack.
“We had a major influx of cash,” said Steve Slack, a nearby neighbour of the Dalton family who started the GoFundMe for Alex shortly after his death. “The Purple Ribbon Campaign brought in a little over $5,000, Cayuga Mutual Insurance, where Alex and his family were insured … donated a little over $6,000, and the Tim Hortons donut campaign was a little over $9,000.”
Those three major donations nearly doubled the total of the fundraiser, which was sitting at roughly $21,000 a couple of weeks ago after an initial surge of donations were received.
Slack wanted to express gratitude to all those who got behind the campaign and donated either money, time, or effort towards both the GoFundMe and the Purple Ribbon Campaign: “It’s a beautiful thing to see.”
CALEDONIA—Zehrs Caledonia staff are shown with some of Alex’s family and friends at the Justice for Alex raffle. —Photo courtesy of Sherri Lafleur.
“The Purple Ribbon Campaign has reached far and wide in Haldimand/Norfolk as Alex’s short circle of life reached out to many communities in this area,” said Sherri Lafleur, organizer of the Purple Ribbon Campaign and mother of Alex’s best friend. “Family, friends, and even people who never met Alex have come together in love for Alex to hang ribbons to celebrate his life and to raise awareness for ‘Justice for Alex’.”
She noted the work done in Jarvis on June 20 by Alex’s friends: “This small but mighty group put up over 100 ribbons as far as could be reached. The team started at the Jarvis Ball Park where … Alex played six years from Atom to Midget boys. Alex also gained many close friends from Jarvis through his school days at St. Mary’s in Hagersville and Holy Trinity High School in Simcoe.”
Holy Trinity Principal Humberto Cacilhas and school staff got behind the campaign as well, blanketing Alex’s former school in ribbons recently.
CALEDONIA—Alex’s dad, Wayne Dalton, is shown putting up ribbons at the Argyle Street Bridge in Caledonia.
—Photo courtesy of Sherri Lafleur.
Slack was very impressed by the Purple Ribbon Campaign: “It’s an incredible feat by so many volunteers. She has people cutting, she gets the material, she has other people forming ribbons … (and) the foot soldiers who go out and put them on poles.… What Sherri’s taken on just blows me away.”
He mentioned how various groups, including the Hagersville Hawks and Moonlight Signs, have donated the use of signs to put up reminders about the ongoing fundraiser in the hopes of reaching the $50,000 goal. One smoke shop owner on Six Nations donated a brand-new sign that is now on display in downtown Hagersville.
He continued, “It’s kind of bittersweet that one action by a piece of s**t has resulted in a lot of good coming from people. It’s unfortunate that this is what’s had to happen.”
Should the case be resolved through police work, Slack says that how the money is used is up to the Dalton family: “The money would go to them.”
“I think it’s just a matter of time before they get this all together,” said Slack on the ongoing effort to bring the perpetrators of Alex’s death to justice.
CALEDONIA—Laura Arnold was behind the ‘Paint the Town Purple’ day in Caledonia, which included 100s of ribbons going up in addition to raffles held at Zehrs and the local Tim Hortons selling a special donut with funds going toward the GoFundMe. Shown are close friends of Alex’s, who helped with the raffle. —Photo courtesy of Sherri Lafleur.
The Haldimand Press spoke with the OPP regarding the case. Although progress has been made in the case, police are not yet ready to make any information public at this time.
The GoFundMe campaign is ongoing at gofund.me/df6df649.
