On December 14, the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society will hold its first Holiday Concert at the Westminster United Church.
The concert will feature Winnipeg artists like Flo Oramasionwu who received the Western Canadian Music Award for Urban Recording of the Year, Gentil Mis, Those Guys, The Winnipeg Glee Club, Queens Brigade and classical singer Lydia Summerville.
Proceeds from the concert will go towards funding public education programs run by the Society.
Award Winning singer Flo Oramasion
Schizophrenia is a very serious mental illness that affects 1% of the Canadian population. The Manitoba Schizophrenia Society (MSS) plays an important role by providing a safe environment for people affected by this mental illness to receive the help they need.
Being diagnosed with an illness like schizophrenia can be devastating to not only the individual affected but also their families. Amanda Karpiak, who has a daughter with schizophrenia said she felt fortunate to have found help at MSS.
“When my daughter was diagnosed six years ago, we were all in the dark about the illness. We were terrified by the prospects of our teenage child not being able to function in society. We were constantly afraid of saying or doing something that might trigger a psychotic episode. But after attending workshops at MSS and going for one-on-one consultation sessions, we felt like there was hope. We have since encouraged our daughter to do everything that a normal person would and have not allowed the illness to take control of her life,” said Amanda.
Amanda’s daughter has completed three years as a biochemistry major and is attending a full time Medical Laboratory Sciences program at a local college. She also volunteers at Health Sciences Centre and plays in a jazz band.
The Manitoba Schizophrenia Society provides free one-on-one consultation, support groups as well as workshops to individuals, families as well as first responders and service providers. The Holiday Concert will be held in an effort to raise awareness about the illness as well as the many programs and services they offer.
Tickets for the concert are $10 if purchased in advance from MSS, Mc Nally Robinson, Music Trader and Into the Music and $12 if purchased at the door. The concert starts at 6pm.
For more information about purchasing tickets or the programs offered by the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, call Viola Healey at 204-786-1616.
