By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
Pike Bay resident Wendell Thomson plans to walk over 60 km between September 11 to 15 to raise funds for the Lion’s Head Hospital.
Wendell’s Walk starts in Tobermory and ends at his home in Pike Bay. He hopes for an early start on September 11, between 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m to beat the heat of the day. On Day 1, he hopes to walk to the corner of Highway 6 and Lindsay Road 30. His goal is to complete 20 km each day for 3 days. He has scheduled a fourth day in case of some adverse weather. Wendell’s Walk starts at Highway 6 (at The Gap, near the Bruce Anchor Cruises office and the Anglican Church) in Tobermory, south down Highway 6, turning west at Pike Bay Road, and finally turning south on Sutter Drive. In recognition of his efforts the Pike Bay Community will host a welcoming reception as he walks by the park in Pike Bay.
A lifelong resident of the Bruce Peninsula, Wendell has been raising funds for over 50 years for various charitable causes on the Peninsula. He was a key fundraiser at the popular Snowarama/Skiarama events (a fundraiser for the Easter Seals of Ontario) in the late 1980s. Over the years Wendell has fundraised an estimated half million dollars. He sees his charitable ventures as a way to give back to the community and organizations for assisting him during the times he spent in the hospital as a child and for the sponsored children’s summer camps he attended.
Wendell has been thinking of doing a Walk to raise funds for the Lion’s Head hospital for over two years. And finally made up his mind to do the Walk this year. Now 68 years old, Wendell has been training by walking five hours daily on the roads around Pike Bay, he says he has “walked out” the roads there.
A Rotarian since he was 18 years old, he has enlisted the Rotary Club of Northern Bruce Peninsula to assist in advertising and logistics.
The Rotary Club is looking for a support vehicle (a small motorhome) to accompany Wendell on his walk. If you can help please contact Cathryn Buckley at 519 596 8188
Wendell hopes the community will support him on his Walk by turning out along the route to cheer him on and by donating. He has set his fundraising goal to be between $20,000 to $25,000.
Donations can be made to Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation via e-transfer to admin@bphfoundation.com or by cheque sent to the Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation, 369 Mary Street, Wiarton, ON, N0H 2T0. All donations must be marked to ‘BPH Foundation – Wendell’s Walk’. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of any size (please include your full return mailing address for receipts). You can also donate directly on the website of Bruce Peninsula Hospitals Foundation at https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E920281QE&id=35
