Duane Hicks
The Canada Day parade next week not only will feature floats, music, and waving flags, but one very special torch.
The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics once again will be taking place during the July 1 parade, said local OPP Cst. Mike Engstrom, who’s helping organize the event.
Joined by local law enforcement officers, the Fort Frances Special Olympians will be following a police vehicle at the head of the parade, he noted.
There also will be a float for those who are unable to walk the route.
The parade starts at 11 a.m. on the La Verendrye Parkway.
Long-time Special Olympics volunteer Gaby Hanzuk said this will be the third year the torch run will coincide with the Canada Day parade.
It initially was held as its own event here but was incorporated into the July 1 parade, at the suggestion of local OPP Cst. Anne McCoy, in order to get broader exposure.
“It worked out well. We all love it, so that’s what happens now,” Hanzuk said.
“We have a bigger audience.”
Hanzuk added Special Olympics is partnering with Community Living Fort Frances and District for this year’s parade.
While the two aren’t officially linked, the volunteer-based Special Olympics provides a sports program for many of the latter’s clients.
The annual torch run is the major fundraising event for the Fort Frances Special Olympians, with Hanzuk noting Special Olympians have been collecting pledges in anticipation of the event.
The money raised offsets costs for athletes to participate in regional and provincial competitions, as well as meals, accommodations, and travel costs, which can be quite high.
Hanzuk said that every year, at least 15 Special Olympians raise an impressive amount of funds, bringing in enough to offset costs for not only themselves but other athletes who participate in activities but are not capable of fundraising.
“The first or second year, we fundraised about $300-$400,” she recalled. “[Now] it’s not unusual for us to fundraise anywhere from $5,000-$7,000 for this event.
“It works out well] because we budget for the whole year and it really does help.
“We go to an event like five-pin bowling, which every one of our athletes goes to, and all the coaches, so you’ve got six-seven coaches, a worker, about 25 athletes, and there goes $5,000 right there,” Hanzuk reasoned.
“This torch run really, really helps with that.
“It also supports new equipment,” she added. “Sometimes we have certain athletes who can’t afford certain things and if we have the money, we will support them.
“That’s part of why we do it, too.”
This year’s torch run fundraising goal is $6,000.
“Every single penny that we raise, whether it’s $300 or $5,000, every penny goes back into the Fort Frances Special Olympics,” Hanzuk stressed.
“Every penny is used for the athletes, one way or another.”
