It’s the Morel Family Foundation’s fifth anniversary so the Morel brothers threw a party at the Morel Family Foundation Park and invited everyone to join them. Almost everyone did because approximately 1,200 people attended the family-fun event.
Despite the cloudy weather on June 26, the Morel Family Foundation was determined to have the celebration, rain or shine. The event was completely free with a BBQ, ice cream, and cotton candy. Kids were seen running around on the bouncy castles and music could be heard from a block away. People were smiling, laughing and conversing with one another, and this was the exact scene Cory and Kelly Morel had envisioned when they planned the event.
“This is a park that we have as a big centerpiece of our foundation,” Kelly Morel told Sudbury.com on Sunday.
The Morel Family Foundation Park, located at 270 Second Ave., was officially opened in 2017. The park is complete with a splash pad, fully upgraded hockey rink boards and lights, new asphalt for the basketball courts along with newly implemented posts and nets, new swing sets, climbers, picnic tables and more.
“And with that centerpiece, we host the opening party every year. And what we try to do here is to bring the community together, and by offering food and drinks and ice cream and play games. For us not being able to do it for the last two years was painful for us. So to see the turnout that we have today, and to see how the community has come together, I think has been a huge success.”
The Morel Family Foundation was established to “pay it forward” by giving children and young people in hardship a helping hand. Their mission is to give back to the community and offer experiences to young people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity.
“So any child that is going through a tough time, we'd like to give them a bright star, whether it be through an event through or through medical devices,” Kelly said.
The Morel brothers hope to continue the effort of bringing the community together and giving back, as well as raising awareness for their philanthropic work. Mayor Brian Bigger and Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc were also there to show their support for the large community event.
“I gotta say that they're setting an example, they're setting the bar for all parts of our community,” Bigger said. “And, you know, every neighborhood, every city and town within the City of Greater Sudbury needs this kind of event.”
To find out more about the Morel Foundation, visit their website here.
Eden Suh is a new media reporter at Sudbury.com.
