The Town of Golden and Kicking Horse Culture want to make sure the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay is met with the proper reception when it comes through town on April 11 to 13.
Twenty-five years after his original Man In Motion World Tour commenced, Rick Hansen began his anniversary relay, beginning in Cape Spear, N.L. on Aug. 24, 2011. Medal Bearers, also called “Difference Makers,” have been carrying his Rick Hansen Medal across the country, and eventually conclude the journey in Vancouver on May 22 of this year.
The Relay will be spending three days in Golden, arriving on April 11 with a ceremony in the Spirit Square, travelling to schools and participating in a community concert on April 12, and continuing out of town on April 13.
The Community Gala Concert, commissioned by the Town, and organized by Kicking Horse Culture, is a free show at the Civic Centre featuring tons of local talent.
“The Town of Golden came to us and asked if we, Kicking Horse Culture, could produce this event on their behalf,” said Bill Usher, executive director of Kicking Horse Culture.
“We’ve put together a whole bunch of local artists, similar to the opening night at the Civic Centre in a way, where we had a bunch of people come together and perform on stage.”
Performing acts include Jane Fearing, the Bad Uglies, John Jenkins, Travis Pickering, the Understandards, Mike Pecora, Carl Trinkwon, Suzie Raudaschl, Bill Usher and Leo Downey, and more.
“We’ll put on a really good show, lots of music and songs, a lot of inspirational stuff using the themes of the Rick Hansen Relay, making a difference and celebrating difference makers,” said Usher.
“It will be a very special night, and tickets are going to be free. The Town wanted this to be accessible for anyone who wanted to come.”
The Town had some excess funds, and decided this was the perfect thing to spend it on.
We had a surplus from the Olympic Torch Relay,” said David Love, manager of strategic initiatives for the Town. The torch relay brought in more grants than the Town had budgeted for, so the money the town had put in was left unused, which meant there was $19,000 that could be used for something else.
“We suggested to Council that we use it on this, and they agreed,” said Love. “The celebration event is only going to use about $5,000 of that. The balance will be to put in a lift, to go from the floor level to the stage… And we’re also going to be making the Southeast Admin Building wheelchair accessible.”
“I’ve been told it’s quite special for Golden, because they’re not doing it in a lot of other towns they (the Rick Hansen Relay) are going to,” said Usher.
Tickets are free, but there are only 300 of them. So if you want to go to the show pick up a ticket at The Art Gallery of Golden, Moon River Gallery or Bacchus Books.
