Start practicing your wheelchair basketball moves because you'll need to be in top shape for the second annual Rick Hansen Wheel in Motion relay in Squamish on Saturday, June 12.
Karen Tapp of the local Wheels in Motion organizing committee made a presentation Thursday, March 11 updating District of Squamish council on the details of the event.
Various activity stations situated along Cleveland Avenue will give people a chance to experience what it's like to have a spinal chord injury.
Each station will require participants to complete a task with the limitation of a specific injury. For example, said co-organizer and 2010 Citizen of the Year Kristen McBride, one station will show the public what it's like to have a high level spinal chord injury by making participants write words with a marker in their mouths, rather than in their hands.
And in an effort to get a head start on fundraising, McBride is also planning a hot dog sale at Nesters Market on Saturday, April 24, starting at 10:30 a.m.
The fundraiser is not only designed to increase awareness but it's also designed to educate the public about general accessibility issues.
"It's not only just opening people's eyes and making them aware of the challenges but we're also trying to show the importance of accessibility," said McBride is in a wheelchair due to a car accident six years ago.
"It's not even for just wheelchairs, it's for moms with strollers or elderly people with walkers and canes."
McBride helped organized last year's event and she said she's planning a bigger and better event for 2010. She plans to have wheelchair basketball chairs, a kayak, a sit-ski and a hand cycle to demonstrate different options available to people with various disabilities.
"People get to see what it's like to be in a wheelchair, do the relay and have a glimpse of daily life when you're sitting down," she said.
"I want to make it as interactive as possible and to show that after a disability there's still a lot of things that you can do."
The afternoon will also include musical entertainment, a family friendly kid zone, food and a farmer's market.
Half of the proceeds raised will go towards spinal chord injury research while the other half will help fund local accessibility projects.
Last year, the Squamish event raised $7,000 half of which is earmarked to help pave a downtown park making it wheelchair accessible.
McBride said she's dreaming big and aiming to raise twice as much as the event brought in last year.
The Squamish Rick Hansen's Wheels in Motion fundraiser will take place on Saturday June 12 on Cleveland Avenue between Victoria Street and Main Street.
Registration starts at 11 a.m. and activities will take place from noon until 3 p.m.
For additional information or to register for the event visit www.wheelsinmotion.org.
