On June 14, get ready to wheel, skate, bike, blade, push or even walk your way to Meadow Park for the first annual Rick Hansen Wheels In Motion.
Based on his heroic two-year 40,000 km Man In Motion World Tour from 1985 to 1987, Hansen wants communities across Canada to come out in support of people with spinal injuries.
In Whistler, people will make their way from Meadow Park to Rainbow Park and back for a celebration and concert for everyone.
Hansen came to Whistler this week to personally thank locals for their nation-topping efforts so far in raising funds for spinal injury research and to officially declare training season "now open" for his country-wide event.
"A lot of spinal injuries happen to young people in the prime of their lives and also through sport, so it’s great to see a progressive place like Whistler be so supportive, both through past donations, adaptive sport programs and now with the Wheels In Motion event," said Hansen.
"I myself learned how beneficial this town has been. Nothing felt more amazing than a time recently when I was able to ski down the mountain with my wife and daughters," he said.
The Wheels In Motion event is headed locally by firefighter Craig McDonald, who has brought together a team of almost 20 volunteers to make the first event a great success. The Hairfarmers will perform on June 14 in Meadow Park and many businesses have donated prizes to be given away.
So start accruing pledges now by picking up a registration form from the Meadow Park Sports Centre, municipal hall or the Whistler Public Library. Half the proceeds raised will go to the Rick Hansen Institute for spinal injury research and the other half will be ploughed directly into local adaptive programs.
