A Day For Dawson

After spending the night at Graceland North watching highlights of Drucer’s famous playoff performance, the team prepared themselves for another emotional school visit.

Today we started the short ride to Archie Stouffer Public School, where we met up with Dawson’s parents, teachers, friends and classmates. Every second of the ride we knew our good buddy Dawson was looking down on us smiling, and at times, maybe even joking that we were going too slow.

As we approached the school we could hear the kids cheering us on, something that continues to motivate us each kilometer we ride.

After the Prime Ministers of the school went thru some morning announcements it was time to get the school ‘rockin’. We shaved a few heads, cut a few pony tails and again watched as a couple of little girls shaved their heads for the cause.

I'm sure as Mark Elliott was presenting a framed Pedal For Hope jersey to Heather and Scott everyone in the gym thought of Dawson and the great memories he shared with each and every one of us. For the team there is no greater memory than the day Dawson travelled with us from school to school. He was, and always will be a true inspiration to us all.

Special thanks to Nadine from the Canadian Cancer Society for making the trip to

Minden to be part of our special day remembering Dawson. She is a huge supporter of Pedal For Hope as well as a great friend to Dawson's family.

Our second trip of the day was about 60 km's away in the little community of Wilberforce, but first we had to stop and enjoy lunch with Tanner and Heather at Subway in Haliburton. Once we left Haliburton it was all up hill from there, including Dovers Hill and the famous Vinegar Hill.

I decided to take a much needed rest today so as my bike remained on the trailer I was able to take pictures and video of the team from our Honda Civic Police Cruiser. I did however learn one valuable lesson today, you shouldn't try to squeeze a very large man thru a very small sunroof. Going out was okay but trying to get back in the car was, well, not so easy.

As we approached Vinegar Hill, it was all nerves for one team member. Our newest member Ashley had to conquer the hill to officially become part of the team, and she wasted no time climbing one of the toughest hills on the tour. Not to say it wasn't tough, but like we say, no hill will ever be as tough as the battles our Special Friends go thru. Ashley was a true champion conquering Vinegar Hill !!!!! All our Special Friends would be proud.

Once we arrived in Willberforce you would swear the school had 600 kids rather than 60, they were loud and happy to see us. This is the only school on the tour that we do

our show outside. We don't have a choice, it's a very small school with no gym. Luckily we have never been rained out in 6 years. Thanks to our three guest riders who made the day fun and exciting. Constable Peter Sejrup, Constable Vince Way Nee, and one of the guys responsible for helping us get Pedal For Hope started, Greg Hammond from Shimano Canada. Greg even went one step further and shaved his head for the cause.

From Willberforce the team was back on their bikes and off to Cardiff for tomorrow morning.

John Townsend, Pedal For Hope