Goderich Signal Star, 2011-12-21, Page 48Signal Star • Wednesday, December 21, 2011 47
orfs
Editor Gerard Crates
519-524-2164 gsssports@bowesnet.com
Deadline: Fridays at 2:00 p.m.
tial Olympian attends national awards banquet
ramie Turner of
oderich part of
oronto event
ecial Olympian, Laramie
Goderich was one of the
ests at the 23 rd Special
Canada Awards Dinner as
11 Festival Day in Toronto
9,
who bowls at Little Bowl,
on Tuesday evenings, was
the annual gala and joined
the Special Olympics Sponsor's table
to share his Olympic experiences with
the over 800 people in attendance.
The Special Olympics Canada
Awards Dinner and Festival Breakfast
is held annually to raise funds for Spe-
cial Olympics and to celebrate the
successes of the organization and
raise awareness of the organization.
The banquet, attended by hundreds
of sponsors, business people and
sports celebrities, recognized the
male and female athletes -of -the -year,
the coach of the year and volunteer of
the year.
One of the highlights of the event
was the presentation of the Rob Plun-
kett Law Enforcement Torch Run
Award to Sgt. Joanne Wild of British
Columbia who has served with the
torch run at every level for 14 years,
raising funds for special Olympics in
the process. She participated in the
first B.C. 'Free the Fuzz' in 2000 and
has played a key role in developing
the Torch Run program in B.C. Plun-
kett, a native of Auburn, and an advo-
cate of the Torch Run Program, was
killed in the line of duty.
Turner met and spoke with several
celebrity athletes including Damon Allen and Pinball
Clemons of the Toronto Argonauts, Montreal Alouettes
quarterback, Anthony Calvillo, Olympic speed skating
champ, Catriona Le May Doan and hockey greats Darryl
Sittler and Paul Henderson.
An avid curler and 5 -pin bowler, the 25 -year-old Turner,
the self -described friendly, kind, easy-going good sport,
was featured in the evening's program along with other
Special Olympians and celebrities. Laramie's rnost memo-
rable sports accomplishment was bowling a 306 game
along with winning many ribbons for his efforts.
To Laramie, Special Olympics means meeting people
and having fun in competition. He has been working at
McDonald's for five years and calls Boyd Devereaux of Sea -
forth, his hero.
•
1 Olympian Laramie Turner of Goderich
tial Olympian Laramie Turner of Goderich and long time Torch Run volunteer John Hoy pose with some World Series hardware. At right, Turner with Rob Plunkett Law Enforcement Torch Run
ipient Sgt. Joanne Wild of British Columbia.