Disabled participate in Wateriest
By Jennifer Cosgrove
»re s : i * f • •
Nearly 40 phy sically disabled
persons participated in the the
seventh annual Victor Wnlder
Memorial VVaterFest at Fern
Ridge Reservoir F'riday and Sai
urdnv at the Eugene Yccht Club
Sponsored by the city of
Eugene Specialized Recreation
Program ami the Oregon Reha
bilitation Center at Sacred Heart
General Hospital, tin? WaterFest
lies been traditionally designed
lo offer individuals with physi
cal limitations the opportunity to
learn about many water sports,
including how to water-ski. sail
ing. bass fishing, ocean kayaking
and rowing Also, eac h year dif
ferent manufacturers have pre
sented to partic ipant; selected
types of adaptive equipment for
anyone physically challenged to
use*
"I look forward to this week
end ac tivitv every y ear It 's my
vacation time to get out on the
water and meet new people from
all over Oregon." said Terry Fee.
a fifth-year participant and resi
dent of Grants Pass.
This year for the first time, the
WaterFest had instructors with
expertise in teaching water-ski
ing for persons with physical dis
abilities or visual impairments
Every year, the WaterFest has fea
tured the Kan Ski. a water-ski
especially designed to enable
phy sic ally disabled people to
water-ski.
"I love trying to water-ski at the
fest It's really great because then*
are divers to help you before to
get up and fie there for you after
wards to help you swim. I felt
really safe, it was great to escape
from gravity." said 17-year-old
Ryan Skelton, a junior at South
Eugene High School
"Our program activities extend
for all kinds of physic ally dis
allied or visually impaired peo
ple." specialized recreation pro
grain coordinator Sue Hamly
said. "The participants ages range
from 11 years old and on. The
goals we want in the annual
VVaterFest accomplished arc* for
everyone to just enjoy themselves
and learn skills to take bac k with
them to use around the water."
With the exception of a low
turn-out this year because of had
weather, the VVaterFest program
has had an average of almost 90
people from all over the state reg
istering each year. Tha Victor
Walder Memorial Wateriest is the
pfcrfo t>y Thorny* Mrgnwn
Participant Christa Bucks spent her Friday afternoon water-skiing In
the seventh annual WaterFest at Fern Ridae Reservoir.
only water-related activity spon
sored in Oregon for persons with
phvsu at disabilities, ilanilv said
Sacred Heart recreational ther
apist Tim Shearer and |ohn
Smith, a theraputic recreational
clinical coordinator also a! Sai red
Heart, have remained in charge
of the WaterFest together with
Hurnly since they originated the
program lit l‘)87
"Generally, we contai t people
to become WaterFest participants
through friends, mailing lists and
members the Oregon Rehabili
tation ( enter and Special Recre
ation Department," Shearer said
"We want to encourage people
with any kind of physii al dis
abilities to come out and try sail
ing. kayaking or water skiing on
their own or just learn how to do
it with the equipment provided "
"We’ve gotten tremendous sup
port from many local sponsors,
food donors and volunteers each
year for the WaterFest." said co
(oordinator |ohn Smith
Numliering to almost too peo
pit) each vear. WaterFest volun
teers range widely in their efforts
to help the fest run smoothly
"Our volunteers work as fife
guards. divers, sail boat assis
tants. first aid. water instrut tors,
kitchen help or as registration
staff." Ilarniy said. "The Finer
aid Valley Water Ski Club has
supplied skiing equipment every
year for the WaterFest Celhiar
One offered cordless phones and
walkie-talkies for personnel on
the ImmiI doc ks, crew memlters on
the sailing or skiing Imats and for
the divers and yvater instructors
to use."
So many people do sports
without any restrictions.” said
participant Gary Scholl, an
employee for the University
finance department. "That’s the
best thing about this annual
weekend fest: No limits ”
Stations
raise funds
for flood
By Garin Gonzales
• <v OagiY) fcVweMJ
Eugene area radio slat inns
along and several lot al busi
nesses joined together on Fri
day for Radio Relief t't'H/
an on-air fund raiser at the
Gateway Mall to assist victims
of the flood-ravaged Midwest
"Jen radio stations in all
devoted their morning shows
to raising funds and aware
ness for the vic tims of the
Midwest flood
llartiara Grigsby exec olive
(Iiroc tor of the l ane ( minty
Red Gross said the radio stn
lions involved, whit li inc lud
ed kRVM. kill k kl.CG,
k/.l I. and M’GN to name a
feyy . set up -it the Gateway
Mall at i to a in. Friday and
broadcasted until 10 It) a ni
In addition. lo< al sponsors
donated goods for a silent
auction tlnil was also at the
Gateway Mall
Donations are still coming
m, hut at last count Radio
Relief lf)<) I and its support
ers have raised more than
S13.000, Grigsby said
'TameCountv is very com
passionate and i aring in sit
nations like the Midwest
flood,'* Grigsby said
(airy Rolfe, program dins,
tor of the radio station New
Country f) I. said that las anise
of the sue i ess of Radio Relief,
annual fund raisers akin to
Radio Relief may lie possible
in the future, with focus not
only on national disasters, hut
lot al problems as well
"We’d like to fm involved
in raising funds in the Eugene
community us well as across
the country,' Rolfe said
[loth Crigsby and Rolfe
expressed thanks to the radio
stations and Ice al merchants
as wolf as the public
Donation cannistnrs have
been placed in partic ipating
lotal businesses fur those yvlio
would still like to donate to
the flood funds, or donations
can tie made over the phone
yvith credit cards at the
National Red Cross office at
1-800-842-2200 or loc ally at
the Fane County Rad Cross
office at 344-5244.
ALL DAT
TUESDAY
j *s
I
S ALL
| YOU
' CAN
EAT
EVERY
TUES!
|j
J) Garlic Orp.Kl
11 30 am* 10 pm
pizza
ITALIAN KITCHEN
2673 Willamette • 484-0996
/canoe\
rentals
^ yH an hour
kjW f H weather
4bh^H| permitting
• Monday - Friday,
12:30 p.m. - dusk
• Sat. & Sun.,
10:30 a.in. - dusk
on the mill race
V 1395 Franklin Blvd./
\346-4386/
•*★*★**£★******•
-TJSZSr STREET A
5*v«o "•sass"]
683-8464 J
f - VIDEO ADVENTURE |
iHp 7.-.^7T-w j '°*,u^* J
swuuuyuuHgmmgR
Opticolor
Film
135£4*100ASA
199
One Day
4* Reprints
290“
1-Hr Photo
2* Set
4’ Prints
l 99C I
Weds
Overnight
2nd Set
3* Prints
99 C I
Than
Opticolor
Film
135/24*100AS A
I i“ I
UNIVERSITY
OF OREGON
A PARTNER
IN YOUR