Walk organizers ‘overwhelmed’ by local effort

About 60 people raised more than $5,300 in the seventh-annual “Hip Hip Hooray” walk Sunday, making it the most successful one yet since its inception here in 1993.
Proceeds from the walk go to the Canadian Orthopedic Foundation.
Jenny Wonfor, who chaired the local walk committee, said Monday she couldn’t give a solid final number because even more money was expected to come in.
“We were overwhelmed by the money raised,” she said, adding it couldn’t have been done without the help of all the walk’s sponsors and the local service clubs that helped out.
“We want to thank them in a big way, all the volunteers,” she stressed.
Young and old alike participated in the walk, sometimes together. Stephanie Robar, six, has been joining her next-door neighbour, Elaine Jones, on the walk since she was three.
Jones said for the two of them, it’s as much a donation of time as it is money–even going so far as making egg sandwiches for the lunch after the walk.
“It’s a good charity,” she added. “I do it to help everybody out.”
Steven Romaniuk, six, also has been taking part in “Hip Hip Hooray” since he was three. “It’s fun. Sometimes I walk, sometimes I bike,” he said.
Lolly Brunetta’s reasons for doing “Hip Hip Hooray” are a bit more personal.
“My husband has two knee replacements,” Brunetta said, noting she had raised about $75 for the walk. “That’s one of my main reasons for doing this.”
Brunetta has been involved with the walk since it started here six years ago with about 20 people. “It’s grown from when we first started,” she said. “Every year you see new faces.”
This year’s top pledge-raiser once again was Rainycrest resident Alex Hrychenuk. Despite the fact he spends most of his time in a wheelchair, he managed to get 279 sponsors and raise about $2,000.
“I thank everybody who sponsored me from the bottom of my heart,” he said. “And I want to thank all the people who helped me around town with my wheelchair.”
Hrychenuk, who has had hip replacement surgery himself, said he knows what a hip injury feels like and felt good the money he raised was going to others with similar needs.
“I did it as a work of charity,” he remarked. “As Christ said, ‘Whatever you do unto others, you do unto me.’”