Martin Parnell Finish the Race Attitude

Next Events:

Cook Islands Quest 100 (Quest #4)

• Friday Sept. 28th 2012

• Location: Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean

Soccer Quest 42 (Quest #5)

• Friday Oct. 5th to Sunday Oct. 7th 2012
  

• Location: Spray Lake Sports Centre, Cochrane, Alberta
  

In the last week I've participated in a couple of memorable events in support of Right To Play. The first was on Friday morning. I headed over to Glenbow Elementary School in Cochrane to visit Mrs Brooks's kindergarten class. This was no ordinary visit however. Over the last couple of months the students had made an incredible Play Quilt and sold raffle tickets to raise money for the charity. The quilt has 25 squares and each child drew a picture of them playing. Mrs brooks welcomed me to the class and each child told me a "Did you know…." Here are some of the examples:

• Did you know: Many children can't play because they have to spend hours fetching water
• Did you know: Many children can't play because they have to fight in wars
• Did you know: We received 183 toys for Christmas last year. Many children have no toys

Very powerful.

We then all walked out to the school entrance. The children were very excited and I was honoured to be asked to make the draw. I put my hand in the jug and pulled out a blue ticket. The winner was Shayla. She was thrilled to bits and all her class mates congratulated her.

The children then presented me with a cheque for $250. I explained that this would give 5 children a RTP play program for one year. But on top of that, RTP Partners would match every dollar raised with another $3. This means that 20 children would get the program. Now that's Kids helping Kids.

On Sunday Sue and I headed down to Redwood Meadows, a small community next to Bragg Creek. Carol Scarratt had organised the 2^nd Annual Redwood Meadows 5km Fun Run / Walk in support of RTP. We had 30 kids show up and at 10.00am we all headed off. I joined 5 year old Hunter and her mum Carmen along the route. This was Hunter's first 5km run and she started off strong. The half way mark was back at the community centre and Hunter decided it was time for an ice cream.

After the exercise we all had a terrific pancake and fruit breakfast. Carol is amazing and had organised an adult raffle, kids raffle and silent auction. The final tally isn't in but it looks like it'll be over $1,000 raised. That means that, with the matching funds, over 80 children will get a RTP play program. Now that a good weeks work.

Quote of the Day

"If you don't fall now and again, it's a sign you're playing it safe"

Anon

Student Shayla wins the Play Quilt made by Mrs Brooks' Kindergarten class.

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Next Events:

Cook Islands Quest 100 (Quest #4)

• Friday Sept. 28th 2012

• Location: Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean

Soccer Quest 42 (Quest #5)

• Friday Oct. 5th to Sunday Oct. 7th 2012
  

• Location: Spray Lake Sports Centre, Cochrane, Alberta
  

A couple weeks ago I received a call to go to Smitty's for a breakfast meeting. The call came from Alex Baum and I know Alex from the Cochrane Rotary Club. He said that he wanted me to meet with Jack Tennant and Dan Kroffat. Jack is the owner of the Cochrane Eagle and has been a huge supporter of Quests for Kids. I had met Dan at several meetings regarding the Glenbow Ranch Rotary Music and Motion event.

Dan kicked off the meeting by telling a story. In early May an announcement had been made that the Canadian penny would no longer be minted. He had heard Jim Flaherty say that "Canadians should donate their remaining pennies to charitable causes". This had given Dan an idea and he shared it with Alex and Jack.

They told me that they wanted to do a fund raiser called "Ton of Pennies". They had talked about it and agreed that they wanted to support TriOil-Soccer Quest 42 and Right To Play. I thought it was a brilliant idea and went home to find out more about the venerable penny.

According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the official national term of the coin is the "one-cent piece", but in practice the term penny or cent is universal. Originally, "penny" referred to a two-cent coin. When the two-cent coin was discontinued, penny took over as the new one-cent coin's name. Penny was likely readily adopted because the previous coinage in Canada (up to 1858) was the British monetary system, where Canada used British, pound, shilling and pence coinage alongside U.S. decimal coins and Spanish milled dollars.

There are presently 30 billion pennies in circulation at a value of $300m. Now 5,000 pennies ($50) gives a child a Right To Play program for one year. I figured out that 5,000 pennies weighed 27.6 lbs so with 2,000 lbs to the ton then a "Ton of Pennies" would help 72 children. On top of that, for every penny raised, Right To Play Partners will add another 3 pennies there by helping 288 children for every "Ton of Pennies" collected.

Alex, Dan and Jack had arranged a press conference on Saturday at Cochrane Toyota, for the launch of "Ton of Pennies" and we had a good crowd in attendance. It was great to see so many kids from Cochrane Minor Soccer and they had a blast pouring hand full of pennies into huge wine jars.

The "Ton of Pennies" fund raiser goes from June 9^th to September 29^th. So if you have a chance, take your jar of pennies up to Cochrane Toyota and help us achieve a "Ton of Pennies".

Show me the Pennies!!!!!

Quote of the Day

"Invest in yourself. It will pay you the rest of your life"

Anon

Caden needed a helping hand so he could put his pennies into the large wine jar. Every penny counts in the Right To Play "Ton of Pennies" fund raiser.

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Next Events:

Cook Islands Quest 100 (Quest #4)

• Friday Sept. 28th 2012

• Location: Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean

Soccer Quest 42 (Quest #5)

• Friday Oct. 5th to Sunday Oct. 7th 2012
  

• Location: Spray Lake Sports Centre, Cochrane, Alberta
  

A lot has happened since 2010. We raised $320,000 for Right To Play with Marathon Quest 250 and I visited the kids in Benin, West Africa. I laid out a new plan, "Quests for Kids" where by I would attempt to complete 10 Quests in 5 years, raised $1M and helping 20,000 children. I signed a book contract and achieved two Guinness World Records in Netball and Lacrosse. This was all great stuff but I realised that I had to start covering my day to day costs and not eat up Sue and my savings.

Several ideas came to mind and I started to work on them. Articles for the local paper; training programs for individuals who want to learn to run; product promotion for equipment I use in my running; publication of the book "Marathon Quest" and public speaking.

As a kid, public speaking was a challenge. I was once asked to read a passage from the bible to the whole school at assembly. I went to the front of the hall and stared at the words. I stammered my way through it and walked back to my seat with my head down. The next time I was asked to make a presentation to a large group was early in my mining career. I was living in Yellowknife and was asked to present a paper at a Mining Conference, in Sudbury, Ontario, on a mining method we had used at the Con Gold mine.

My mind instantly flashed back to my embarrassment at school and I was determined not to let that happen again. A friend of mine Gerard was an English Teacher at a local high school and he suggested we give Toastmaster a try. The conference was in September and for three months Gerard and I would go to the weekly meetings and follow their program. The big day arrived and the presentation went well.

Recently, I've joined another group that are committed to the business of public speaking, the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. They have chapters all across Canada and the Calgary members meet once a month, on a Saturday. They bring in amazing speakers and the group is very giving with advice to new members. The day I became a member, another new member was signing up, Kristina Groves, four time Olympic speed skating medalist.

Nuff said.

Quote of the Day

"Insist upon yourself. Be original."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Talking to 600 participants at City Chase Toronto: August 2011

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Next Events:

Cook Islands Quest 100 (Quest #4)

• Friday Sept. 28th 2012

• Location: Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean

Soccer Quest 42 (Quest #5)

• Friday Oct. 5th to Sunday Oct. 7th 2012
  

• Location: Spray Lake Sports Centre, Cochrane, Alberta
  

The last two weeks have been all about soccer. Sue and I have watched every game played in Euro and we have a couple of comments on the state of the game.

Number one, I want to get a can of that "Magic Spray" they apply to the injured players. An opponent taps a member of the opposite team on the ankle and they spin around on the ground like a gyroscope. Then, four medics trot on and cart the player off the pitch on a stretcher. Next, the team doctor comes along and applies the "Magic Spray". Up pops the player and he's back dashing up and down the field.

Number two, England must practice more taking penalties. A goal is 8 feet high and 24 feet wide. That's 192 square feet. If you subtract the area of the goalie (say, 16 square feet) then that leaves 176 sq ft. The ball will fit into a 1 sq ft opening hence there is more than enough holes in which to score a goal.

Moving on to last Friday night. Sue and I had the pleasure of meeting Gavin Peacock. Gavin is a former English professional footballer who played as midfielder and striker from 1984 until 2002 notably in the Premier league for Newcastle United and Chelsea. He is presently living in Canmore and was gracious enough to agree to give the Cochrane Thunder Wolves U-14 girl's soccer team a training session at Cochrane Rangers Field.

It was a wet evening and things didn't improve Saturday morning. Cochrane Minor Soccer had planned their big Soccerfest and the games were played at Mitford and West Rock fields. In total, 53 teams turned up for the event including teams from Canmore and Redwood Meadows. The heavy mist didn't dampen the fun and U-6 boys and girls got things off to a flying start.

The event was a fundraiser for Right To Play and each team was asked to bring bags of pennies to donate to the "Ton of Pennies" initiative. Team after team poured their pennies into the large clear containers and a total of 200 lbs of pennies were collected. The winning team for pennies collected, at 98 lbs, was the Lime Cobra U-13 girl's team. Now that's a lotta pennies.

If you still have some at home in a jar then take them to Cochrane Toyota; Penny HQ. Thank you.

Quote of the Day

"I would advise all youths aspiring to athletic fame or a professional career to practice clean living, fair play and good sportsmanship."

Major Taylor

The Lime Cobras U-13 girls soccer team collected 98 lbs of pennies for Right To Play. Now that's champion.

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