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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Fundraising starts to aid search for man

By: Staff Writer

8/07/2009 2:55 PM | Comments: 0

Richard Joseph Tssessaze, 37, was last seen on Friday, June 26 in Winnipeg.

A remote northern First Nation has started a community fundraiser to help find a missing band counsellor, Richard Joseph Tssessaze.

Tssessaze, 37, a counsellor in Lac Brochet, was reported missing June 26. Relatives became worried after he failed to pick up his pay cheque.

He was last seen in downtown Winnipeg and relatives say they still haven’t heard from him.

Tssessaze’s cousin, Sylvia Tssessaze, started a bingo fundraiser yesterday to pay for the search for the missing man in Winnipeg. Ten of Tssessaze’s relatives are combing the city streets in search of their loved one.

To date the community has raised $1,400 for the search.

"It’s very hard. I want to be positive," Sylvia Tssessaze said. "I don’t want to think the worst."

Tssessaze was recently elected counsellor in April and is a father of four.

His cousin said he was a teacher before he ran for counsellor and had been living in Brandon with his girlfriend.

Counsellor Laura Antsanen said the entire community is worried and is anxious to know if Tssessaze is OK.

"They’re out there searching the streets," she said.

About 900 people live in the fly-in community of Lac Brochet, located 200 kilometers north of Lynn Lake.

city.desk@freepress.mb.ca

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