“Surprised and blown away.”
That was the reaction the Lake City’s world renowned son, Rick Hansen, had when he was asked to be this years Williams Lake Stampede Marshal.
“Having a chance to come back up to my hometown and be re-connected with family and friends and the community and to fulfill that role, is a great honor and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Hansen said just by coincidence, it happens to be 50 years ago on June 27th when he and his friend, Don Alder, had their accident just past Riske Creek.
“I was hitchhiking back from a fishing trip with my good friend and high school basketball and volleyball teammate. My back was broken and my spinal cord damaged and I was told I would never walk again. I kept going back reminiscing about that era and the challenges it presented, but the sense of gratitude for family, friends, teachers, role models, people who didn’t give up on me and encouraged me to keep going. I feel like I’ve come a long way to a point that back then I really would have traded my soul for the use of my legs and felt like everything was taken away from me, but today going back I feel I’ve never traded my life for the use of legs and feel like one of the luckiest guys on the planet. It’s with gratitude I come back to the City to try to say thanks to those folks who were part of my journey.”
Hansen will have a full schedule in addition to being Saturday’s Stampede Parade Marshal.
Thursday afternoon (June 29) at 2 he’ll be at the Williams Lake Curling Club for their accessibility elevator grand opening.
Later that day at 4:30 he along with Don Alder will be at the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin for the opening of the Rick Hansen Memorabilia display celebrating his Man in Motion Tour.
“Don helped me wheel around the world as one of our team members. He was a budding musician at that time, shy and maybe not very secure in terms of his future. He went on to become a world champion acoustic guitar player so he’ll be coming back to town and performing during the Museum opening and he’ll be one of the difference makers joining me in the parade. I wouldn’t be able to be here if it wasn’t for him and his friendship and support over the years so it will be great to have him there,” Hansen said.
– with files from Pat Matthews, My Cariboo Now staff
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