Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-01-25, Page 13b mrn w.aiu'S:a�cn• of 71. n e n,gcx r a ' V 1' 1: Elmira, Palmerston, Harristan, Brussels, ptwood� . OhIct n, MIIlbank, Newton, Clifford, Wallenstetn, Drayton, Mooreefield and Arthur Wednesday January 25 1984 Serving. over 25,900 homes tri. Listowel, Wingham, Mount Rarest', Milverton, �Im n •� . 12, BANNER YEAR—The year 1981 was the best to date as far as Snowarama pledges are concerned. Over $30,000 was raised in the Brucb�'egion that year for physical- ly disabled children and organizers hope this year's, t J- 10th Snowarama, will be an even larger financial success. In this photo from 19. 1,'snowmobilers Lloyd Benn- inger and Al Tilson check in with members of the Wingham Lions Club. • GET ON O..VER THERE—A rider, with a little lelp from a friend, urged a recalcitrant snowmobile across a narrow bridge in the 108 Snowarama. The machine obviously a didn't trust -the flimsy -looking structure. �(IIIINnuuu......... •�ji.. rt��lfiii:e:.• 1jf�J��jjj�ii `1Jl /jjj/1i11111111 411%k‘. 1144'# t llI/i,•, :`? / ,, 41 t h, 1111111111MUM11111111111111111rimma e &' g THIS YEAR'S TAMMY—Little Jennifer Wall, the daughter' of Betty Ann and Doug Wall of Teeswater, is this year's Tammy for the. Bruce Region. Jennifer, born with ' spina bifida, is one of almost 125 physically disabled children in the Bruce area alone: Each year thousands- of handicapped children across the province are helped through the Snowarama for Easter Seals. Snowmobil Ii' SII iI�� •i1" II• ,{ I,, 4-+ . - clubs gearing up f 10th annual Snowarama for Timmy Over hill, over dale, they ride the snowy trails — all for physically disabled children. This year. marks the '10th Timmy Snowarama, for Easter Seals and , snowmobile clubs all over the area are planning to make this year's the best yet. In the Bruce Region, the annual snowmobile rally for Timmy' IS scheduled for. this Sunday,,Jan.. 29, with a alternate bad -weather date of Feb. 4. Since the first "Timmy Run" in 1975, over $5 million has been raised for crippled kids. But times have changed and Snowarama organizers have tried to change right, along with them. FoiC example, this year for the first time cross-country skiers will be taking part in the action too, with 10 separate runs planned for them in . different locales across the province. . But even with the addition of the cross- country skiers, organizers still are looking for ways to keep the interest in the run at its peak. That's not always easy in light of' tough economic times, high prices for machines and fuel, plus poor weather conditions. Bob Purdy, president of the Bruce Region Snowmobile Association, said these factois have caused the local association to change the run somewhat this year. Instead of one large 100 -mile run, lt will be broken down into five smaller runs of varying lengths. However, the Wingham run will cover the same 100 -mile course it has. in previous years. . The change was made "to help stimulate more interest in the run," said Mr. Purdy. Another change locally in this year's run is that gas, oil and meals will not be sup- plied. Mr. Purdy said this should help reduce associationcosts and make it possible "to return more monies to the children who need our support." Previously expenses had been deducted from pledge money. However, service clubs in the region still will be manning the checkpoints and providing free coffee and dqTuts along the way. Some clubs, like the Wingham Lions, are even donating meals to cold and hungry, riders fresh off the trails.r ORIGINS OF THE RUN Away back in 1971, a wrestler named CHECKPOINT, --The first checkpoint after leaving Mildmay"in the 1978 run was Neustadt, where the riders had to stof and get their bardS, initialed to prove they' were still, on course l5 Chuck Vessey, Jim Bain and Bill Crump were among a group of 30 riders from the Wingham Snowmobile Club who took part in that year's Snowarama. A by Margaret Arbuckle Whipper Billy Watson Was seriously injured in a car cra'Sh. The accident meant an end to his wrestling Career, but it was the start of a whole. new cause — helping crippled children. While in a hospital in Newmarket after the accident, Mr. Watson thought it should have a therapeutic pool. installed. He petitioned government and hospital officials, but after two years he realized he'd have to. go by the old maxim: If you want something done you have to do it yourself. So he did do it. He and some of his friends organized'a snowmobile _rally at Bradford on Lake Simcoe as well as a local telethon. All in all, $54,000 was raised: enough for the pool and some left over. The Snowarama was born. At around the same time, the Ontario Society for Crippled Children (Easter Seals) was finding. itself hard . pressed to raise funds for its operations. The snowmobile clubs throughout the province were looking for a worthwhile cause too. Taking advantage of an ideal situation, Mir. Watson (a long-time crusader for taster Seals) worked With the two groups to organize the first Snowarama for Timmy in 1975. A total of 12 rallies were held that year throughout the province. This year there will be 28 in Ontario alone and the idea has spread to provinces like Manitoba and Alberta and to the United States. Just as a hatter of interest, that first ride on Lake Simcoe has survivedand today is known as the "Corporate Ride", including representatives from business and govern- ment in the worthwhile cause. HOW IT GREW The Snowarama seemed to take off im- mediately, although it has been through thick and thin. • Last year was definitely a lean one. Thousands of dollars in pledges were lost simply because there was not enough snow to hold rallies in most areas. But there have been banner years for the Snowarama too. For example in 1981, $30,000 was raised in the Bruce region and a record 313 riders participated. • This year there should be no lack of snow. Organizers hope to top that $30,000 mark of three years' ago and add to the $185,000 already raised locally. Half the money raised in each rally goes -to help physically disabled children right in the . region, with the remainder going to Easter Seals. There are an estimated 125 physically • handicapped children in the Bruce region alone. The money raised goes toward things like wheelchairs, artifical limbs and trips to summer camps for these youngsters. . Mabel Woodhouse; a visiting health nurse in the area, said that like everything else , these articles have gone up dramatically in cost in the past few years. For example, an electric wheelchair can cost up to $5,000. ' And with things like wheelchairs, the families of disabled children need ramps installed in their homes and eveh vans to transport the children. The Kppferschmidt family of Mildmay had an intercom system,, installed. in its home so the, parents always could hear son Brian, last year's Bruce region Timmy. Though Whipper Billy Watson no longer is overall fund-raising chairman of the Snowarama, it still is being spearheaded by dedicated people. Canadian television personality Don Harron (Charlie Farquharson) led last year's drive and this year Canadian athlete Brian Budd is at the helm. ` The Snowarama for Timmy has survived 10 long years. Those in charge. no doubt hope it will be able to continue forever, but in the meantime, as Mr. Purdy said, the main object of these rallies is still to help disabled children "turn their disabilities into abilities". LISTOWEL'S RIDE Get in shape and pray for that fluffy white stuff. Listowel's ride will be Sunday, Janu- ary 29th with approximately 40 miles of trails to cover. Registration will be at the Listowel Sales Barn Sunday, January 29th from 9 - 11 a.m. Meanwhile should you need any further information re pledges, , etc. please contact John S. Irvine, Listowel, Ontario, telephone 291-4313 or Bert Johnson 291.2835. This event is sponsored locally by the Listowel Rotary Club. , See you On the 29th. (Marilyn Wine). t.