Karate funds for paddler.
Bill Bailey, left, accepts the cheque for just over $1,800 from his cousin Brent Stoneman.
Submitted photo
McKELLAR TWP. – Money raised to send a junior karate athlete to a world competition that was cancelled 11 years ago is now helping his younger cousin paddle for Canada in Italy.
In 2001, then 16-year-old Brent Stoneman qualified to take part in the World Karate Championships. To help pay the way, the community group Snow Bugs raised $2,000 through a raffle.
The karate competition was cancelled after the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001 and Brent’s mom Colleen put the money in the bank for safekeeping.
Now, the remaining amount of just over $1,800 (after years of bank deductions) has gone to help Bill Bailey, 16, of Orrville, who is a member of Canada’s under-18 junior team in the International Canoe Federation (ICF) dragon boat world championships in Italy next week.
“We’ve been really just waiting for an opportunity (to donate the money) to any athlete, but we haven’t heard of any that stood out or anything,” said Colleen. “And my sister asked me if I had any extra cash I could help send him with and it was like ‘yeah, actually we do.’”
The funds will help cover a portion of the flight, said Bill’s mom Caroline.
The Canadian Canoe and Kayak Association, which put together the junior team, also allocates some funding to the athletes.