Wheelchair trek to be held at Brighton

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32563, 24 March 1971, Page 22

Wheelchair trek to be held at Brighton

The Canterbury Paraplegic Association, assisted by the New Brighton Lions Club, will hold a wheelchair trek and market day at New Brighton on Saturday. Proceeds from the market, which has been prepared over the last few months by Lions Club members and their wives, will be directed towards the Paraplegic Hostel Appeal. The paraplegic sports committee’s programme stands to benefit from funds raised by the wheelchair trek. The year’s activities include the sending of a team to the national paraplegic games at Dunedin at Easter. A spokesman for the Lions club (Mr D. G Gaynor) said S'day that a return of was gained towards the hostel appeal from similar events 12 months ago. It was hoped to better this figure. About 15 handicapped ath-

letes will take part in the trek, over a three-mile course from Woodham Road to the New Brighton clock tower. The entrants include the province’s two representatives at the 1968 Paraplegic Olympics at Israel ana tne 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games at Edinburgh, G. Condon and R. Fattorini. They were medallists at Edinburgh, Condon in swimming and Fattorini in weightlifting and wheelchair track events. C. Waghorn has been selected to compete in the archery and javelin sections at the national contest in Dunedin and the interests of the other trek entrants range from bowls and table tennis to rifle shooting. One woman, Miss J. Compton, has been nominated for the trek while A. Porter, who is in the spinal ward at the Christchurch Hospital, will use an electric chair because of his severe disablement.