Day 217 Williams Lake to 100 Mile House, B.C.

Day 217, just getting light out in Williams Lake, I am back on shuttle bus number 1 (the early shuttle) with Kyle as the host for this week, (week 32 on the roster)

Our medal bearer meeting point today was in the art room at the Williams Lake Senior Secondary School.

That is some ceramics project right there!

Outside of the classroom, a deer came to visit the medal bearers, must be some sort of sign!

Kyle is teaching the Rick Hansen 25th anniversary relay story to these very enthusiastic difference makers.

Inside the gymnasium there is special seating for the medal bearers as they get to be part of the 25th anniversary relay presentation to the high school

The Rugby team motto.

The relay convoy arrives at the school

The medal bearers are all briefed and ready to go!

The only thing the medal bearers have to remember is to smile, we take care of the rest!

Medal bearer number 2, Rya, had her running group waiting for her. They are planning a relay of their own. Here is her story:

My name is Rya and I am an organizer for a group called Kids Running For Kids. Our group of 73 kids from Williams Lake is raising money

for the BC Children's Hospital. The way we are going to do this is by running by relay to Vancouver this summer. That's around 600 km! We

were inspired by a Vernon family that ran last summer to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation. When we saw what they did, we knew we

wanted to combine our love for running with a way of giving back to other children. We are leaving Williams Lake June 30, 2012 and arriving

one week later at Children's Hospital to present them with a check for the money raised. Many children in our group have used Children's

Hospital and continue to use it for regular treatments and check ups. We know the importance of good health and feel very fortunate that we

can participate in activities like hockey, soccer and running. We are inspired to help other children that live with childhood illnesses so they can

enjoy the simple pleasures that we do. I am very interested in being a part of Rick's amazing journey and would love an opportunity to run in

this relay. I think Rick has inspired so many people across the world and I would love to help him inspire more people. I hope to hear from you

soon. Rya

The students at Marie Sharpe elementary, come outside to see the relay go by.

The relay ended up stopping at the school, said a few words and taught the kids the warm-up dance.

The medal bearer is getting relay team support  from Megan, Jamie, Jordan, and Scott.

Our segment took us from the high school to downtown Williams Lake.

Kyle with the final medal bearer of our segment, Shirley-Pat Gale. Shirley was instrumental in co-ordinating the voulunteers at the Williams Lake end of day celebration on day 215. She is also on herk way to Victoria to receive the diamond jubilee medal for her work in the community. Here is a link to the story

Another wonderful western/rodeo themed statue in Williams Lake

all the relay crew kept saying that we had to check out Porky's ..

The food was very good, and the ladies had just finished making pies, I bought an entire apple pie to take to our overnight hotel.

The end of day celebration was in 100 Mile House, B.C.

On the way out of town we passed the relay convoy as they were having a stop with the medal bearers at the Rick Hansen monument at the Tourism Discovery Centre.

The south end of Williams Lake.

One of the many 25th anniversary Rick Hansen billboards we have seen along the way across Canada.

Our overnight hotel (or cabin, in this instance) was at the Hills Health Ranch at 108 Mile House, B.C. (108 Mile House got it's name from the fact it is 108 miles from Lillooet, B.C. , mile 0 of the Cariboo Wagon road from the old gold rush days of the 1800's)

Has that ranch look to it all right!

a few deer where at the entrance to welcome us in!

The lobby and restaurant.

I shared a 3 bedroom cabin with Jeremy and Andrew. We all had kitchens, so we all bought groceries and made our own dinners for a change. (ours was more bachelor grub, like pizza, lasagna, chicken, and salads., oh yes and that delicious apple pie I bought at Porky's)

great view of the great outdoors off the balcony

It was off season, but they did have horses for trail rides as well.

Kyle and I had one more medal bearer meeting point, this one was at the 108 mile elementary school.

They advertised our arrival on the school billboard. There was a smaller turnout because our arrival was after school, and most of the students had to catch busses to get home.

We only had three medal bearers for 108 mile house, Bev, and Nieka and Braden, who are students at the school. Nieka had sent this letter to the relay a few months ago.:

I wrote a letter to Rick Hansen asking him to come to my school, Mile 108 Elementary, to talk to all the students. I think it is terrific that Rick

went all the way around the world to raise money and 25 years later he is still doing more to raise money and find a cure for spinal cord

research. I want to make a difference too and be a part of the relay. I think that everyone should try and help others, and treat each other

kindly.

Never stop learning.

With only 3 medal bearers, we filled the picture with Kyle, myself, Max (the B.C. region co-ordinator), and Josh, who was one of the medal bearer escorts today.

The 108 mile difference makers did have some support out on the road.

After we finished that segment, Kyle and I headed into 100 Mile House,  (population about 1900) where we acted as a pick-up shuttle for any of the medal bearers in 100 mile that wanted a ride to the End of Day celebration.

end of day was at the South Cariboo Rec Centre

O Canada! We seem to go out of our way to have the biggest everything and anything, 100 Mile House sports the world's largest Cross Country Skiis!

The convoy makes it's way towards the end of day site.

The medal bearers walked together, with support from Scott, our endurance athlete Tyrone on his hand cycle, and Marilyn as one of the bike escorts.

Hard to see, but Jordan is in the back of the pace motorhome with a microphone cheering on the throng. (affectionately known as a "spruiker", an Australian word, that was adopted by the relay)

Day 217 is in the books, back to the ranch, time to chill out and enjoy this little piece of paradise