Pedal for MS
The Hinton MS Bike Tour is this weekend, starting from the Hinton Centre.
Jasper鈥檚 H-Core Rockhoppers team is currently in the lead for fundraising with a total of $73,077. That number is greatly due to Greg Van Tighem鈥檚 fundraising efforts this year in support of his End to End to End MS campaign, which took him from Wickenburg, Ariz. to Jasper on his road bike.
The Rockhoppers are still looking for team members, so if you鈥檙e interested in riding Sept. 7 and 8, visit www.msbiketours.ca and search for the Rockhoppers and click 鈥淛oin this team鈥�.
The tour is also looking for volunteers to be marshals and to work at aid stations. To be a marshal you need to be a solid rider, with some basic bike repair and first aid skills.
鈥淭o work at the aid stations, you just have to smile,鈥� said Van Tighem.
Fastball in the Rockies cancelled
The Buck Howery Fastball in the Rockies Tournament won鈥檛 happen this year.
Jasper鈥檚 decades-old ball tournament struggled to find enough teams after a scheduling conflict with the Western Canadian Championships in Kelowna, which was itself rescheduled because of conflicts with an international tournament in Italy.
Fastball in the Rockies was the unfortunate causality of that decision. With the two tournaments scheduled for the same end-of-August weekend, most of the teams passed on Jasper.
Doug Charlebois, organizer of the tournament, said he is disappointed.
鈥淢ost of our teams are going to the Canadian championships,鈥� he said. 鈥淸They] would rather come to Jasper, but with a national title on the line you can鈥檛 blame them for passing.鈥�
Charlebois hopes to use the year off to create buzz for next year.
Slow down for kids
You鈥檝e probably noticed a lot more backpacks and lunch boxes bopping along the road this week.
School began Sept. 3, and that means it鈥檚 especially important to be aware of school zones, said Corp. Ryan Gardiner of the Jasper RCMP.
鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be an increased number of kids, and they鈥檙e going to be excited; they might not look both ways,鈥� he said.
Most accidents happen at intersections, so it鈥檚 especially important for motorists to take care at four-way stops, he added.
Along with their regular enforcement, the RCMP will be 鈥減arked outside with cruisers鈥� to help remind everyone to slow down and be mindful of children.
Officers will also check that child restraints and seat belts are properly secured.
The speed limit between the bright yellow 鈥渟chool zone鈥� signs is 30 kilometres per hour from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Kings and queens round the bases
Men in dresses and ladies in manly slacks will put their bat swinging and ball catching skills to the test Sept. 7, as a team of drag queens and kings are pitted against the Jasper Mixed Slo-Pitch league in a game of ball.
The game is a fundraiser for the Emily Morgan Foundation, a charity named after Jasperite Mychol Ormandy鈥檚 niece, who passed away at the age of 14.
The foundation gives money to families with sick children to help them with medical expenses.
The event will take place at Centennial Park from noon until 5 p.m. and will then carry over to the Jasper Legion where there will be live music and entertainment, as well as a silent auction.
