A 31-year-old man who suffered severe brain damage as a teenager will include Fort Frances in his annual fundraising bike ride in August.
Donny Stephen Little will cycle from Kenora to Fort Frances, Dryden, and then back to Kenora in three days.
Little was a promising student with marks in the 90s who planned to be an architect. But in 1985, he fell asleep while returning from a high school dance and lost control of his vehicle.
The car slammed into a rock, sending Little flying 50 feet and landing head-first on the pavement, changing his world forever.
He was left in a coma and doctor’s felt he had little chance of survival.
Now, years later, Little is living on his own with the help of family, friends, and Brain Injury Services of Northern Ontario.
He has become active as a community volunteer, helping the elderly and coaching young people, and is constantly trying to re-enter the workforce.
For two years, Little has biked between Dryden and Kenora in one day. This will be the first year the Donny Little Bike Tour will include Fort Frances.
Little is expected to reach here Aug. 24 between 6 and 8 p.m.
June is Brain Injury Awareness month in Ontario, and Brain Injury Services of Northern Ontario will be fundraising in Fort Frances, including a golf scramble slated June 25 at Kitchen Creek.
All money raised will be used for rehabilitation and support of those who have suffered brain injuries locally.