A time to remember TERESA WRIGHT The Guardian

Ken Gillis, left, president of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown, Paul Cotton, and Jordon Cotton, Easter Seals ambassador, look through some photos taken during the 2009 Tim Hortons Easter Seals Ambassador School Tour. The campaign, a fundraiser for the Rotary Clubs of Charlottetown, Summerside and Montague, raises funds for people with disabilities on Prince Edward Island. Guardian photo

Ten-year-old Jordon Cotton says he will remember his experience as this year’s Easter Seals ambassador for the rest of his life.
Cotton and his parents were one of many guests Monday at the 2009 Rotary Easter Seals Campaign wrap-up luncheon at the Delta Prince Edward hotel in Charlottetown.
He beamed with pride as organizers spoke of the dedication he showed throughout the campaign that raises money for Islanders with disabilities.
Jordon’s mom, Angela Cotton, said she watched her son transform from a shy little boy into one filled with confidence and spirit as a result of his experience as ambassador.
“It was a very amazing experience and it’s something that has helped Jordon grow tremendously from beginning to end,” she said.
“Now he’s out shaking hands and is willing to talk and make eye contact. It’s been an amazing experience for him — he’s really changed.”
Cotton, a Grade 4 student at Alberton Consolidated Elementary School, has cerebral palsy and travels either with a wheelchair or a walker. But this didn’t slow him down during the annual seven-day tour of over 70 Island schools earlier this year.
David Lopez, chairman of the Easter Seals Rotary committee, was one of many on Monday who spoke of how Jordon performed the marathon school tour with infectious energy and zeal.
“He was a tough little guy — in fact he was hard to keep up with,” Lopez said.
He said he found it personally very rewarding to spend time with Cotton and watch him as he travelled from school to school, telling Island students to “shoot for their dreams,” his motto for the campaign.
“It’s almost humbling because you see this little guy and he’s getting up in at five o’clock in the morning and travelling all around the Island, and you never hear him complain,” Lopez said.
“Even when he’s not feeling very well he’s got a smile on his face and for me, I
see him as a bit of a role model, because although I have my aches and pains, it’s nothing compared to what all these kids go through.”
The crowd of Rotarians and guests at the Delta gave Cotton a standing ovation for his work in helping to raise about $140,000 through the Easter Seals campaign this year.
Cotton thanked everyone for their support, especially Danny Murphy for sending him to Toronto to see a Maple Leafs game.
“I will remember this time for the rest of my life,” he said.
Although the money raised this year is less than amounts raised in years past, it is still an amazing achievement in a year of economic downturn, Lopez added.
“It shows how P.E.I. has a real tradition of helping people and even if things are bad, they still come together to help others.”