A community celebration marking the Rick Hansen Relay will be taking place Wednesday, Feb. 29 at the Olds Cow Palace. The celebration will begin at about 5:30 p.m. after the relay winds its way through Olds. The relay starts at Olds High School at 4:50 p.m.
A total of 18 participants will run the relay in Olds. The relay will be departing Olds the following day from the Olds Elementary School. It will be travelling north after it leaves Olds, going past the Bowden Grandview School at about 2:20 p.m.
“The community has planned an end-of-day celebration that will be at 5:30 (p.m.) We'll celebrate them (Olds runners) and those people in our community that make a difference and have been part of the Rick Hansen relay,” said Michelle Honeyman, manager of community development with the Town of Olds.
People from the Rick Hansen Foundation will be on site at the Cow Palace doing a brief presentation about the medal that is being run across Canada.
The relay will depart from Olds High School, winding down Highway 2A, Highway 27, and 50 Avenue to the Cow Palace. After the celebration, the relay will depart Olds the following day at about 1:30 p.m. from Ecole Olds Elementary School.
The final medal bearer will be Karen Mengersen, who was nominated to be part of the relay. Mengersen has been involved in Special Olympics as a coach and organizer for about 15 years. Although Mengersen doesn't know who nominated her to be part of the relay, she considers it a privilege to take part.
“It was a total surprise to me,” she said.
"We'll celebrate them (Olds runners) and those people in our community that make a difference."Michelle Honeyman, , manager of community development, Town of Olds
