Mike on Crime

By Mike McIntyre
Winnipeg Free Press

Floyd and Karen Wiebe know the horror of losing a child to drugs — and then to violence.

And now they are doing everything in their power to prevent more families from going through a similar hell.

The Wiebe’s 20-year-old son T.J. was lured by a group of drug associates outside the city, injected with a syringe, strangled, stabbed and left to die in a snowbank in January 2003.

Three young men have been convicted of his murder and are in prison, while the alleged ringleader of the plot — a youth — was acquitted at trial when the others refused to testify. The fact they all went through separate high-profile trials made T.J’s name known to many Manitobans.

The Wiebe’s have become strong local advocates on behalf of victims — opening up their home and cabin to other families of slain children and often sitting side-by-side with them during painful court proceedings.

And now they are attempting to affect change on an even bigger scale with an ambitious fundraising effort.
Their son’s memory will be front and centre on May 16 when the Wiebe’s host “TJ’s Gift – A Gala Evening” at Canda Inns Polo Park.

More than 500 of the 700 available seats have already been purchased — to the tune of $75 each (with a $40 tax receipt) — and some major city players have jumped on board including Premier Gary Doer and Mayor Sam Katz.

The goal is simple. The Wiebe’s want to raise $40,000 that night which will go into sustaining The T.J Wiebe Education and Awareness Fund, which was set up after their son’s tragic death as a means of keeping his memory alive and steering others away from the dangerous lifestyle that reeled him in.

The Louis Riel School Division has partnered with the Wiebe’s and will provide students access to the fund for peer education and drug awareness projects.

“We need to reach as many kids as possible,” Karen Wiebe, a school teacher, told the Free Press.

“We know kids will listen to other kids. And we can provide them with another vehicle for education,” added Floyd Wiebe.

Getting funding for a project — be it a school play, a lecture series or a science project — comes with a major commitment.

“They have to take a drug free oath,” said Floyd Wiebe. “Now, I realize it’s just a piece of paper they sign. But I truly believe that if a kid who’s maybe 13 and signs that, and two years later is in a position (where drugs are present or being offered), well, maybe he or she remembers what they signed and it’s another cog to make a positive choice,” he said.

The Wiebe’s have been overwhelmed with support from family, friends and even complete strangers — both after their son was killed and when they recently launched their effort for the fundraiser.

A Calgary resident, listening to Floyd Wiebe speak recently on a national radio show, called up and bought a corporate table for $1,000 simply as a kind gesture.

Then there was the woman who approached Wiebe to speak of her own young son’s struggles with drug addictions, and how he’d turned his life around by learning about what happened to T.J. Several Free Press articles about the murder still hang in his bedroom.

“We do a fair amount of outreach these days,” said Karen Wiebe.

“We hear from so many parents who tell us ‘You have no idea how close we’ve come to your story’,” added her husband.

TJ’S Gift — A Gala Evening will include both a live and silent auction (including a $4,000 diamond ring up for grabs), a five-course gourmet dinner and dancing to a 13-member orchestra and jazz choir. The Wiebe’s will also speak to the crowd and show a video tribute to their son.

Tickets are still available by going to www.tjsgift.com or contacting Floyd Wiebe at 253-9768 or by e-mail at floyd@tjsgift.com.