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FireChase entries top 200 for first time
Mac Olsen
for South Peace News
At the sound of the fire truck’s horn, the runners made their way along a five- or 10-km route, with the walkers not far behind them.
The sixth annual FireChase, held by the High Prairie Fire Department at Jaycee Park Oct. 4, drew over 200 people, exceeding deputy fire chief Lynn Pardell’s expectations.
“It’s a community event, families can have fun,” says Pardell. “It’s something we don’t have in High Prairie very often. We have a lot more out-of-town participants this year.”
Some came from Edmonton, Fort Vermillion, Slave Lake and other communities.
The 10-km runners were the first to go, followed by the walkers, then the five-km walkers and runners as a group.
The A&W Root Bear, Dolly Wally, Louie the Lightning Bug and Bertie the Beaver stood at points along the routes to give big hugs to children.
Patti Lanigan brought her sons, Liam and Sean, to the event. Lanigan believes in supporting the fire department.
“It’s appreciated, having this event in our community,” she says. “A lot of volunteer hours go into it.”
“I like to run,” says nine-year-old Sean, “and it’s for the fire department.”
Karen Vanderwell, wife of councillor and volunteer firefighter David Vanderwell, also believes in supporting the fire department.
“It’s a fun community event,” says Vanderwell. “The firefighters are very involved with the community.”
Following the return of the last walkers and runners, Pardell announced the winners in each category. Three grand prizes were awarded, too, as Eric Kregel won an adult bike, Riana Pardell won a GPS unit and Nicole Peyre won a youth bike.
The proceeds from the event will go toward the construction of the fire department’s training facility at the airport. Pardell thanks the participants, volunteers and sponsors for supporting the event, saying it would not be possible without them.
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Shirene Napier, left, and her mother, Deidre Odell, performed a veil dance. Both have been belly dancing for many years. Instructor Connie Sebo says belly dancing provides a sense of belonging and camaraderie.
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Three-year-old Teegan Laughlin and her family made the 5-km trek. She had her picture taken with Sparky the Fire Dog near the end of the walk.
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Josee Bouchard, left, and Tisha Organ were all smiles when they stopped and posed with the A&W Root Bear mascot.
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Kyla Organ ran to Louie the Lightning Bug for a big hug. Louie is ATCO Electric’s mascot, which is one of the supporters of the FireChase.
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Seven-year-old Chase Laughlin couldn’t wait to get a big hug from Bertie the Beaver. Bertie is the mascot for Sustainable Resource Development.
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When Dolly Wally isn’t swimming in Lesser Slave Lake, she’s appearing at community events. Above, 10-year-old Erica Lovsin poses with her.
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Jenny Kay paints five-year-old Miranda Samuelson’s face. The High Prairie and District Children’s Resource Council provided the family activities.
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They’re off and running! This group participated in the five-km run and walk. Those in the 10-km run and 10-km walk went ahead of them.
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