Southsiders urged to rally for annual North versus South Challenge Walk April 30

Dear Editor:

Okay, Southsiders - Rise up! Circle Monday night, April 30, on your calendars.

It’s that time of year again when Kate Mahood-Richards and the Huron Heights Home and School Association are organizing (rejuvenating) the Great Kincardine Participation Challenge Walk - The North Side versus South Side in conjunction with “Turn Off The Screens Week.”

The river is the dividing line for walkers to walk to Victoria Park and sign in at the bandstand, from 6-7 p.m. Here's hoping that the whole community, young and old, fit and not so fit, will participate like they used to in the late 1970s, 1980s and most of the 1970s when the recreation department was organizing the event.

What I liked about The Great Walk Challenge in the “old” days, was that people who never walked for exercise would participate to help their side of town win the cup, and many kept on walking after the event.

Kincardine has more walkers than you can shake a stick at! Come into town any day, and you will see people walking the streets, the boardwalk, the trails, the shoreline, the Davidson Centre tracks. People walk, walk, walk in Kincardine - it’s the thing to do. Kincardine is the ”WALKINGEST” (my new word) town in Canada!

I credit this phenomenon to The Great Walk Challenge started many moons ago - participants have kept on walking and passed on their love of walking to their children and grandchildren. That's my theory anyway and I'm sticking to it. It’s great Canadiana!
 
My heart swelled with pride last year when the South Side defeated the mighty North Side by 50 walkers to claim the old vintage cup. It was so inspiring because in the “old days,” it happened only a few times. Having cup bragging rights for the past year has been so, so awesome.

So ... I am challenging all Southsiders to come to the parking lot at the Hi-Way Variety Store (don’t park your cars at the store) at 6:15 p.m., April 30, to participate in The Great Walk. Let’s make it two in a row - a feat that has never happened before. We will have a Pep Rally again. I will get my Attack horn out and my grandfather’s old cow bell and lead us in a few rounds of “Charge” and “Go South Side, Go”.

I have an old Kincardine town flag and a big Canadian flag for a couple of people to carry, plus a few inspirational signs for others to hold in our walk. Bring your own sign if you have one. Hopefully, my friends, fellow South Side Pipe Band members, the Reids, Whittles and the Shewfelts, will join me and we will pipe/drum us all down the sidewalk, across the bridge and into Victoria Park. 

One of the tunes we will be playing is “March of the Champions Supreme,” in honour of our big victory last year. It will be a grand entrance as we all enter the park with flags flying, signs waving, ready to “sign in” at the “South” table.
 
Go Southsiders, Go! You rock! Help keep the old trophy back on the right side of the river where it belongs! Do it, South Side! Just Do It! CHARGE!

R. Keith Davidson
Kemble Shore and Kincardine