“Skateboarding
for a cause”
Fundraiser at West 49 Skateboard Park helps Tourette Syndrome
Foundation of Canada
By
GALEN EAGLE/Examiner Staff Writer
Sunday, July 15, 2007
It was
skateboarding for a cause.
Hundreds
of legs dangled into the concrete skateboarding playground Saturday,
as spectators sat around the West 49 Skateboard Park on Bonaccord
Street and watched each rider perform their stunts one-by-one.
The second
annual flip Tricks for Tourette Skate Competition attracted 40 participants,
150 visitors and raised a little more than $2,000.
Nine-year-old
competitor Ethan Wyatt was in the spotlight yesterday. It was he and
his mother Danielle Turpin, both of whom have Tourette syndrome, that
started the event last year to raise money and awareness.
"We
wanted to come up with a way to not only raise money, but help kids
with Tourette’s," Turpin said.
The neurochemical
disorder, which can cause motor and verbal ticks, can affect young
children’s behaviour and learning. It also often leads to bullying,
Turpin said.
"I
think kids and youth really need to be aware of it," she said.
"There’s a lot of bullying of youth with Tourette’s
and we need to build an awareness."
Combining
the two – skateboarding and Tourette Syndrome – was an easy
sell for Wyatt, who at the age of seven, was already a sponsored skateboarder,
Turpin said.
"Skateboarding
has a bit of a stigma to it and so does Tourette’s, so we thought
we should put the two together," she said. "Ethan is the
type of kid that likes the extreme stuff and likes to push himself."
The nine-year-old
placed first in his age group yesterday, but was more pleased with
the turnout of visitors despite Saturday’s on-and-off again rain.
"Some
people aren’t feeling good because they have Tourette Syndrome
and we can raise money for them," Wyatt said. "I enjoy skateboarding
because it is a lot of fun and if you wipe-out you can impress people."
Competitors
paid a $20 entry fee for the event. A barbecue, 50/50 draw and raffle
were also held at the park and all proceeds from the event will be
donated to the Tourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada.
The event
featured four age categories from 10 and under to 18 and over.
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