Municipal Hall

February 26, 2010 / 12:00 PM

The countdown is on to Canada's first ever Paralympic Torch Relay as Maple Ridge readies itself for a magical and memorable celebration leading up to the start of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

On March 10, residents of Western Fraser Valley and Tri-Cities are invited to join in the 10-day celebration and be a part of Paralympic and Canadian history by joining in the relay and celebration at 6:30 pm at Maple Ridge Memorial Peace Park.

"We're honoured to be a celebration community as part of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay," said Maple Ridge Mayor Ernie Daykin. "Paralympic athletes are true heroes ― they persevere when the odds are against them and we're proud to celebrate their success in our community. We encourage everyone to come out and experience the inspiration of the flame as it travels on its way to Vancouver for the Games."

The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay, which heralds the opening of the first Paralympic Winter Games in Canada, will visit 11 communities in 10 days and culminate in the lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron at BC Place in downtown Vancouver on March 12, 2010. The relay is presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

The community celebration sites are: Ottawa, ON (March 3), Quebec City (March 4) Toronto (March 5), Esquimalt and Victoria (March 6), Squamish (March 7), Whistler (March 8), Lytton and Hope (March 9), Vancouver (Hillcrest) and Maple Ridge (March 10), and Vancouver (March 11 and 12) in British Columbia.

"These celebrations are sparks across this great land that shed light on and honour the remarkable athletic achievements of Paralympians and their triumphs over adversity," said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). "As the Paralympic Flame approaches Vancouver, this light will only grow stronger as Canadians and people around the world join together with us in a celebration of what is possible if you dare to dream."

Over 600 torchbearers will carry the Paralympic Flame during the relay celebrations, which will start at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, ON, on March 3. A special Aboriginal-themed lighting ceremony with a uniquely Canadian flair will spark the Paralympic Flame, which has no ancestral home.

The torch relay will make a special stop in Maple Ridge for a free, family-friendly celebration that will feature local talent such as Danielle Foulds, Tiller's Folly, the Joe Fernandes Band, and the West Coast Contortionist & Acrobatics.

There will be 31 torchbearers in Maple Ridge who will carry the Paralympic Flame, each with unbelievable stories that will inspire the community and the country.

One such story belongs to Jennifer McKenzie. Jennifer is a lifelong Maple Ridge resident who spent her school years participating in swim and pony Club. McKenzie participated in the first North American Young Riders Competition which was hosted by the Maple Ridge Equi-Sports Center in 1982. After a life altering equestrian accident, Jennifer was able to returned to her favorite sport and started competing again. She credits this return to tremendous community support and the North Fraser Therapeutic Riding Association. Jennifer became a member of Para Equestrian Canada in 2000 and remains as a short listed rider who has represented Canada many times. Most notably, she represented Canada at the 2003 and 2007 World Championships and at the 2008 Bejiing Paralympic Games.

In March 2010, approximately 1,000 athletes and officials from more than 40 countries will take part in five sports (alpine and cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey, wheelchair curling and biathlon) at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler. The big international sporting event comes just 12 days after the region hosts the Olympic Winter Games.

Tickets for all Paralympic events, including the magical Opening Ceremonies, are available for purchase at www.vancouver2010.com/

For more information on the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay, visit www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Please visit www.vancouver2010.com/ for more information.

About the Government of Canada

The Government of Canada is proud to make 2010 a celebration for all Canadians. Through strategic investments in programming and funding, the spirit and excitement will be felt far and wide and leave lasting legacies for future generations. Through the Olympic Torch Relay and Paralympic Torch Relay, the Government of Canada is supporting citizen and community participation, as well as the inclusion of Aboriginal, ethnocultural and official language communities. For more information on the Government of Canada's contribution to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, visit www.canada2010.gc.ca/

About Coca-Cola and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements

The Coca-Cola Company has been associated with the Olympic Games since 1928 and is the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement. Through the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Coca-Cola encourages people to create their own path of "positivity" in everyday life by believing that anything is possible. The Coca-Cola Company is the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage provider to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. For more information about Coca-Cola Canada, please visit our website at www.cocacola.ca/ or our parent company's website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com/

About RBC

As part of our commitment to help create a better Canada, RBC sponsors amateur sport, from grassroots programs in local communities to national sport associations that support the development of amateur athletes who compete at home and abroad. As a long standing supporter of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams, RBC continues itssponsorship through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and is proud to help showcase Olympic and Paralympic sport as presenting partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays. RBC is also a premier sponsor of Hockey Canada, the Canadian Snowboard Team, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team, Athletics Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Visit www.rbc.com/sponsorship

About the Government of British Columbia
The Government of British Columbia is the proud Host Province for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The Paralympic Torch Relay represents a significant opportunity to create understanding and awareness about people with disabilities and the Paralympic Movement. Through the Paralympic Torch Relay, the Government of British Columbia is promoting healthy communities, healthy lifestyles and individual excellence. For more information on British Columbia's contribution to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, visit www.gov.bc.ca/themes/2010olympics

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Media Contact:
Kyle McLellan
604-377-4027
ksmclellan@gmail.com