Volunteers are needed to carry the Rick Hansen medal through the Tri-Cities when the Man in Motion wheels through the region next spring as part of his 25th anniversary relay.
Each participant will complete a 250-metre segment of the Coquitlam portion of the route, meaning there are still spaces available ahead of the Dec. 28 entry deadline.
"Those that have the honour of carrying the Rick Hansen medal will have demonstrated Rick's values of courage, determination and teamwork, and have made a difference in our community," said a Coquitlam city staff report. "Medal bearers will receive a commemorative Rick Hansen medal produced by the Royal Canadian Mint along with a uniform."
Hansen, who is a fundraiser and advocate for spinal cord injury research, is expected to be a part of the group that rolls through Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam on May 17 to mark the 25th anniversary of his global tour. He will be in Port Moody the next day before moving on to Vancouver to complete his 273-day, cross-Canada journey.
Coquitlam is also expected to be one of 165 communities to hold an End of Day Celebration, which is organized to conclude each relay day. The Rick Hansen Foundation is encouraging communities to use the opportunity to highlight issues surrounding wheelchair accessibility.
During his journey across Canada in 1986, Hansen, a Richmond resident, took on one of his toughest climbs - Coquitlam's Thermal Drive - before finishing the tour on May 22, 1987; for the 10th and 20th anniversaries in 1997 and 2007, he tackled the steep hill again. But relay spokesperson John Gibson told The Tri-City News there are no plans for Hansen to challenge Thermal a third time.
Hansen's commemorative relay will be held over nine months and will include 600 municipalities, starting Aug. 24, 2011 at Newfoundland's Cape Spear and ending on May 22, 2012 in Vancouver. It will involve 7,000 participants chosen in a national contest and will finish each day with a community celebration, much like the Olympic torch relay.
To be part of the relay, visit www.rickhansenrelay.com to apply. Entrants must be 13 or older and must demonstrate how they are improving the lives of other Canadians.
