Louise and Bernie Mercer were on hand at the new community park in Long Pond earlier this month for the unveiling of a sign by CBS council honouring their late children Alex and Riley Mercer, whose courageous fights against cancer inspired thousands of people around the province.
New CBS park imbued with the special spirit of two brave kids
By Craig Westcott
The Town of CBS has recognized two of its most famous and courageous citizens by naming the new Long Pond splash pad and outdoor rink park in their honour.
Siblings Alex and Riley Mercer both died of brain cancer several years apart, an ordeal that rivetted many citizens of the community and throughout the Province who have honoured their courage in the face of illness by donating to a myriad of charitable causes that have been established in their memory.
Not only did Alex and Riley share the same courage in enduring the same form of brain cancer that took their lives, they also shared a birthdate – May 9, with Alex born in 1993 and Riley in 1998. Alex was taken by the disease at age 9 and Riley at age 15, but their spirits and example have inspired many people to undertake good deeds in their memory.
A public unveiling of the SOAR sign at the park was held September 11. SOAR stands for the Spirit of Alex and Riley, which is also one of the charities started by their parents Bernie and Louise Mercer who have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of food and toy donations for needy families in CBS and area, and other funds for research in memory of their daughter and son.
Councillor-at-large Joshua Barrett told his colleagues at this past Tuesday’s council meeting that attending the sign unveiling along with councillors Shelley Moores, Christine Butler and Mayor Darrin Bent, has been one of his principal honours since joining council.
“It was just a really nice event, an incredible way to honour the memory of those folks and the legacy of Alex and Riley, which continues to live on in our community,” said Barrett. “Honestly, it was just one of the highlights of being on council, learning so much more about the impact they’ve been having on our community. So, thank you, again, for allowing us to be a part of that.”