NEW?GLASGOW?- He may not have sight, but he's got vision.
Richard Holloway made a stop in New Glasgow on Tuesday for a fundraising breakfast as part of his cross-Canada trip to raise money for disadvantaged athletes.
It's a cause near and dear his heart: Holloway has tunnel vision and only six per cent sight, making him legally blind.
"I wanted to see the country before my vision deteriorates more," said Holloway, who has become known across Canada as the Blind Guy Biking. "Along the way, I wanted to raise money for people with disabilities, and I wanted to show them that just because you have a disability doesn't mean you can't follow your dreams."
Raising money for these athletes will increase their opportunities, Holloway explained. Many are on fixed incomes and it can get pricey for them to take part in sports. He's hoping this tour will help ease that burden.
Holloway hopes to raise $250,000 through the Canadian Progress Club Cross Canada Ride, which began in Victoria, B.C. on June 7 and will hopefully wrap up in St. John's Sept. 5.
He's already biked thousands of kilometers in a special tandem recumbent bicycle, where a co-captain acts as his eyes and guides him in the front seat.
So far, he says, it's been an amazing trip, highlighted by the opportunity to meet the athletes across the country.
"When you look at the country in a book, it doesn't look that big - at least through my eyes," Holloway told a packed room at Summer Street Industries Tuesday morning, where a pancake breakfast was held to help raise money for Special Olympics athletes. "But it just keeps getting better - this is a life dream for me, something I can check off my bucket list."
He's also hoping that people will look at his bike tour and decide to follow in his footsteps by volunteering in their own community.
"We live in the greatest country in the world and volunteering is the right we pay for being here," he said. "More people need to get off the couch and volunteer."
If you're interested in donating to Holloway's tour, visit www.blindguybiking.com for more information.
Seeing dreams come true
- Published on August 26th, 2009
- Published on December 29th, 2009
-
Jennifer Vardy Little
- Number of views : 1055
- Rate
- Top of the page
Comments
-
- R G Langille
- - January 18th, 2010 at 13:11:04
Good Luck with it.
I am sorry to have mis lead you all with respect to the Trenton Works.
While it is true that work is available for full employment at the plant building rail cars. It apears that the NS government has a plan for the plant that does not include me.
i am shore that Mr dexter has a good reason for not fallowing through on the Sale of the Plant to me. However I have been here waiting to meet him now for 2 months and have yet to speak to him even. He clearly does not want to do business with me.
I am sorry to have mislead you all, I truely believed that he was going to sell the plant to me after talking with him.
Anyway the people of Nova Scotia are much better off with Mr Dexter and the NDP in Halifax. Good luck to you all.
