05/01/08
Looking back on 2007
Guardian reporters catch up with a few of the active people they wrote about in the past year
Guardian reporters catch up with a few of the active people they wrote about in the past year
MARY MACKAY AND SALLY COLE
The Guardian
Whether they were running in a marathon, taking a run at a new career, on the run to watch a Boston Red Sox game or simply always on the go, 2007 will be remembered as a year of action for at least four of the people The Guardian wrote about over the past year.
In their annual year-end update, features writers Mary MacKay and Sally Cole check in with Barb Simpson, Bobby Lund, Brady Cudmore and Father Gerard Chaisson to find our where all the activity has taken them.
Running to his dream
Father Gerard Chaisson was active in realizing his dream of running the Athens Marathon.
“It was a great experience, a wonderful experience,” says the St. Pius X parish priest who completed
the Nov. 4 event in four hours and 34 minutes.
“I was really happy to reach my goal in less than five hours,” says Chaisson who finished in 2,224th place.
The day of the marathon, things worked out in his favour.
“The weather was perfect, 20 degrees Celsius. And as I ran I thought of family members who had died and how much I loved them. And that encouraged me to run even faster,” he says.
The marathon was also a successful fundraiser for St. Pius X parish. It helped to defray the cost of recent renovations.
“Financially, we had set a $20,000 goal, but to our delight we received just over $30,000,” says Chaisson.
With every gift of money, came the gift of encouragement.
“It was just wonderful the way that people supported me and the initiative.
“For instance, one day I was running/training and this gentleman pulled in the driveway ahead of me and got out of his van and was opening up his wallet. He had just read the story (about the Athens marathon) in The Guardian.
“He was from another parish and he gave me a $50 bill. He said, ‘that’s for your initiative.’ That was amazing.”
The rest of the article, with other people's updates, is at http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=94986&sc=100
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=95082&sc=98
Families raising money to send Island nurse to diabetes marathon
See earlier posts about Father Gerard Chaisson's Athens Marathon:
Run for a cause - Father Gerard Chaisson is training for the Athens Marathon
- Islanders on the Run - Last Weekend in Athens, Greece
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=95082&sc=9805/01/08
Ticket to BrazilFamilies raising money to send Island nurse to diabetes marathon
NANCY WILLIS
The Guardian
SOURIS — The musical Chaisson and Deagle families from eastern Prince Edward Island are getting together to raise money to send cousin Lisa Deagle to Brazil to run a diabetes marathon.
Deagle, a registered nurse and singer, will run as part of Canada’s national Team Diabetes at the Brazilian marathon scheduled for next June
“My Mom is diabetic and it is a cause I have chosen to support,’’ says Deagle.
“We originally planned to run the earlier Spanish marathon but are switching now to the Brazilian event.’’
She needs to raise $6,100 to participate and with a little help from her musical family and friends, and the Celtic music loving public, she is bound to make it.
The Team Diabetes Celtic Music Night is being organized by Lisa’s brother, Elmer, and takes place in Charlottetown at the Arts Guild on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
Performing with Lisa and the Deagle Sisters are J.J. Chaisson, Kendra MacGillivray, Elmer Deagle, Emmanuelle LeBlanc, Anastasia Desroches, Colette Cheverie, and Peter and Kevin Chaisson.
Team Diabetes is a national organization that runs teams in marathons around the world and raises money for the Canadian Diabetes Association. Lisa is the only Islander in the group. Her work as a nurse takes her on a regular schedule to a First Nations’ reserve in Northern Manitoba.
“We have a lot of work to do to raise this money but I am confident we will succeed,’’ she said.
The Guardian
SOURIS — The musical Chaisson and Deagle families from eastern Prince Edward Island are getting together to raise money to send cousin Lisa Deagle to Brazil to run a diabetes marathon.
Deagle, a registered nurse and singer, will run as part of Canada’s national Team Diabetes at the Brazilian marathon scheduled for next June
“My Mom is diabetic and it is a cause I have chosen to support,’’ says Deagle.
“We originally planned to run the earlier Spanish marathon but are switching now to the Brazilian event.’’
She needs to raise $6,100 to participate and with a little help from her musical family and friends, and the Celtic music loving public, she is bound to make it.
The Team Diabetes Celtic Music Night is being organized by Lisa’s brother, Elmer, and takes place in Charlottetown at the Arts Guild on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
Performing with Lisa and the Deagle Sisters are J.J. Chaisson, Kendra MacGillivray, Elmer Deagle, Emmanuelle LeBlanc, Anastasia Desroches, Colette Cheverie, and Peter and Kevin Chaisson.
Team Diabetes is a national organization that runs teams in marathons around the world and raises money for the Canadian Diabetes Association. Lisa is the only Islander in the group. Her work as a nurse takes her on a regular schedule to a First Nations’ reserve in Northern Manitoba.
“We have a lot of work to do to raise this money but I am confident we will succeed,’’ she said.
