In less then a year Innisfail will be part of a Canada-wide celebration for the 25th anniversary of the Rick Hansen Man In Motion World Tour.
Twenty-five years ago, Rick Hansen set out to try and make the world more accessible to people in wheelchairs and raise money to find a cure for spinal cord injury. He rode his wheelchair for 26 months across 34 countries and wheeled more than 40,000 kilometres. Hansen was also recently named the Calgary Stampede Parade Marshall for 2011 because of his accomplishments.
Next year, Hansen is hoping to recreate his Canadian portion of his journey through a nation-wide relay covering a 12,000 kilometre route across the country.
The relay will begin on Aug. 24, 2011 in Cape Spear Nfld, and will end on May 22, 2012 in Vancouver B.C. In that time more than 7,000 Canadians will have the chance to run, walk, or wheel in the relay passing along the Rick Hansen Medal from coast to coast.
The relay is meant to recognize people who have made a difference in the lives of others by giving them the chance to follow in Hansen's footsteps and carry the medal across the country.
Celebrations will be held in towns across Canada where the medal will be stopping and one of those towns chosen to host an end of the day celebration was Innisfail.
"We are very excited to have the 25th Anniversary Man in Motion Tour stopping in Innisfail," said Shelley Gagnon, community services director for the Town of Innisfail.
"We already have a group of residents planning the event, many of whom were present when Rick rolled through the town 25 years ago."
Canadians can enter an online contest to win a spot for themselves or another worthy individual to participate in the relay as a medal bearer.
Gagnon hopes that some Innisfail residents will enter to win that chance because the race will try and make sure that medal bearers have a chance to run the medal through their hometown.
"This isn't like the torch relay where you could have been running the torch anywhere in Canada, you will get to run it through town and we would really love to see some local people participate," said Gagnon.
Applications to be a medal barer can be submitted at rickhansenrelay.com.
The relay is expected to pass through Innisfail in March of 2012.
For more information on how to participate or to join the celebration planning group contact Shelley Gagnon at the Town of Innisfail.
