Day 85, Fort Erie to Port Colborne, Ontario

Day 85, I think I will just stay in the room today and enjoy the view. Nothing like the sound of Niagra Falls to lull you to sleep!

I was lucky enough to get the prestigious assignment of escort 2 today. Here I am in the motorhome with Marylyn (escort 1) and`Scott (escort 3) (escorting the medal bearers on their segments) Also, on the right is Bryn, one of our photographers

We also had Herve, (our endurance athlete) and Jamie (Relay director) on board today.

So, here we at the start of the day, and unbeknownst to me, we were at Olde Fort Erie, the battlefield of the war of 1812, By the time I found out, it was time to go! (Hank here did manage to get a quick peek)

Karen, (marketing), who is with us from head office for a week, is driving the command vehicle behind the medal bearer today. She is with Otto , who is our relay commander

We had a school presentation in the morning at Our Lady of Victory School in Fort Erie. Fort Erie has population of about 30,000, is on the Niagra River, and is directly across from Buffalo, New York.

Jordan, with Bryn, first medal bearer of the day Brandon (nominated by his principal) with Billy ( our school events presenter) and our endurance athlete Herve. This is Herve`s last day with us, and it is his second time being on the relay.

Brandon with the medal, like the pied piper, leading the kids out of the school

The students spent  a lot of time making inpiring signs for the occasion.

Yah Brandon!

Next school stop was at Garrison Road Public school in Fort Erie

Herve and Marylyn keep on rolling. They are in what we call endurance mode, where the endurance athlete carries the medal for a pre-determined distance. (from 500 meters upwards of 10 KM at a time.)

Lot`s of school stops today, this one is at Ridgeway Public School in Ridgeway, Ontario

The students were lined up all the way down the block

A quick stop at Crystal Beach Public School in Crystal Beach, Ontario, located on Lake Erie

The medla bearers pose with Herve at Crystal Beach.

Taking a much deserved break. I am sitting on the new electric step that Hank installed on the motorhome. I spent a third of the day walking and running with the medal bearers, one third biking in endurance mode, and one third as escort 2, who goes ahead to the medal bearer that had been dropped of  by a shuttle, but is still waiting for the relay to get to his starting point. It is a great time to be with the medal bearer, they are so pumped up and excited. 

More students came out to hear about the relay, and Rick Hansen`s story. Here we are at St Therese public school in Port Colborne.

There was a huge turnout at the Lakeshore Catholic High School in Port Colborne

Over 1500 students go to Lakeshore, I think most of them came out to hear Rick`s message

Port Colborne, another town on Lake Erie, is also on the Welland Canal. Here is a drive by shot of one of the gates for locks on the canal.

A ship just happened to be going buy in the canal close to downtown.

A great and enthusiastic crowd showed up at the community center in Port Coborne. The warm-up dance is becoming mandatory at our end of day celebrations.