APPD Gun raffle

[henry d]

Well done one and all for the monies and effort put in to this,especially our donor and also to Jon,as it is not easy to stand up and ask people to put their hands in their pockets.

group hug all around

[Cranfield]

(TLE) Martin's generosity and Jon's hard work, has turned this into a great result for the APPD appeal.

 

Kudos to both of them and all the members that have supported both the gun raffle and the earlier donation request.

[Guest jonrms]

Martins the real star here!!!!

[the last engineer]

:( Martins the real star here!!!!

 

thanks Jon but no, you were the one who put in all the hard work, i just bought the thing B) , it takes a lot of work to get one of these things running, even online a trust factor is a big part, getting all the coin in and doing a fair draw requires a lot of time and dedication, im just glad it went well and someone will enjoy the gun, as to the charity power to all of you guys that joined in and sent money to jon, im sure someone else will get to enjoy the benefits of the money pledged.

 

and thanks again to Teal, Henry and Cranfield for allowing the raffle to take place

 

sometimes it easy to forget those who cant help themselves, you just need to take a look around once in a while to remind yourself how lucky most of us are right.

 

 

the text below is one of the reasons i do as much as i do for local charities, the guy in question lives 4 doors down from me with his wife and son, he has more energy than most of the "normal" guys i know, im no basketball fan but you gotta see guys like Jordan preform to apreciate it, he drives a 4x4 with a tri-axle trailer for work loading and unloading himself, ive watched in awe at the incredible strength and determination people like Joradn have, my hats allways off to them B)

 

Martin

 

 

McEachern grabs a gold with Lights

by Shane Jones

Wednesday April 20, 2005

 

Sherwood Park News — It was a 23-year long personal journey to the top.

But it was worth the wait.

Sherwood Park’s Jordan McEachern finally got to take hold of the big prize last week when the Alberta Northern Lights wheelchair basketball team made history, becoming the first Canadian team ever to win the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s Division II title, a win 57 years in the making.

The Northern Lights took the title at the Final Four Tournament in Phoenix, squeaking past Arkansas by three points in the semi-final to advance to the final against the Golden State Warriors.

It was the third straight time the Northern Lights have made it to the final, losing the last two years, each time by nine points.

But the third time was the charm as McEachern and the Lights were able to bounce back from an early deficit and muscle their way to a 67-55 victory.

“We were down 12 points with 11 minutes left in the first half of the final but we made a substitution and were able to go up by two at the end of the half,†said the 32-year-old ABJ grad. “We scored two points right away in the second half and I think we really set the tone right there. We went 17 for 21 from the foul line.â€

But even though they were playing well there was recent history to consider and McEachern was holding his breath right until the final buzzer.

“With about two minutes left I was still a little tentative about it but we were doing so well from the foul line that we were all pretty confident we could hang on,†he said. “When the final buzzer went it was quite the celebration. The people in the stands weren’t too thrilled that a Canadian team just won but we did have some supporters to cheer with us.â€

After 23 years with the Northern Lights program and a couple of hard years of being on the losing end of a championship game, McEachern felt more relief than anything.

“It was a long time in the making,†he said. “My first competition was in the States in 1982 when I was with the Junior team. I was just thinking it’s about time. There was plenty of jubilation but also a lot of relief that we had finally accomplished what we set out to do. We were the first Canadian team to ever win the championship. This is the clear highlight of my athletic career. It’s a big event and it’s a big deal to win it.â€

And they did it in style, winning their final 15 games of the year after starting the season with a loss to the very same Golden State squad.

During the victory celebrations McEachern was afforded the honour of cutting down the net, but not because he was team MVP.

“I’m the lightest guy,†he laughed. “I’m one of the guys who has been with the organization the longest. I don’t know if that had anything to do with it. But I am the lightest and have the strength to hang up there. It was a real honour to be up there.â€

McEachern’s life path has lead him to triumph but it started with a tragedy as an accident in Fort McMurray cost him his legs.

“I was in a car accident in 1974,†he said. “I was playing behind a parked station wagon with my cousins and my sisters. One of them hit the gear shift and the car rolled backwards and pinned me between it and a telephone pole. This is all I’ve know since I was two years old. It was just days before my second birthday. A lot of kids ask me what it’s like not to have legs and I tell them I can’t tell them because I don’t know what it’s like to have legs, this is all I’ve known.â€

Having the opportunity to play with the Northern Lights has changed his life in other ways.

“When I was 10 I was full of energy and getting into trouble and my parents got me into wheelchair sports,†he said. “It became something I clung to. I didn’t want to do it at first but I really ended up needing it. Being successful in sports gave me confidence to be successful in other areas of my life, be it career or a good family life. It has meant a lot to me. It has given me the boost I needed to go out and tackle other things.â€

McEachern now works for the Lights organization in a school program called Highlights, going to 40-50 schools a year doing public presentations.

And he has something even better to bring to show and tell now, the NWBA trophy.

Also from the Park on the Lights is Brian McPherson, 25, an up-and-comer in the sport who was unable to attend the championships due to an injury .