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Drumheller resident rides to conquer cancer

Cassandra Knight (Liska) is getting on her bike in the streets of Drumheller with a purpose: on Saturday, June 26, she is embarking on a 200 km two day ride across the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with thousands of men and women with the same goal: riding to conquer cancer for the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
    Eight years ago, Cassandra and her husband moved to Drumheller from Lethbridge, for her job at the Alberta Employment and Immigration office.
    Cassandra is riding in honour of her dad, Jerry, who passed away in 2008, 29 days after being diagnosed on his 62nd birthday, with lung cancer.
    During this time, Cassandra found a lot of support from the cancer organization and social workers at the hospital in the Lethbridge Cancer Centre.
    She explains that the Alberta Cancer Foundation supports research and is also very pro-active with a prevention campaign. As well, each participant is riding to raise money for breakthrough research and the discovery of new cancer therapies.
    The Alberta Cancer Foundation is dedicated to supporting cancer research and programs at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, the Cross Cancer Institute and 16 other cancer centres across rural Alberta. They provide funding for basic, translational and clinical research, advanced treatment programs, prevention and screening initiatives, equipment and facility enhancements, a patient financial assistance program and psychosocial initiatives at all Alberta cancer centres.
    Cassandra had heard about the event last year, which was the event’s first ride and told The Mail “I wasn’t prepared to take it on, I wasn’t in a position to put in enough training to be able to do it.”
    This year, Cassandra decided to take the challenge on. “I am always one to challenge myself and this is definitely a challenge for me, it is really going to push me and I like to set these kinds of goals,” she explained.
    Recently, Cassandra took up the challenge of playing a role in Kaleidoscope Theatre’s production of Like Bees To Honey, and now that the show is over, she is concentrating on a tough training regime.
    As well as practicing on her home trainer, she has mapped areas in Drumheller to ride a 15 km radius and her aim is to cycle to Dorothy and back to Drumheller closer to the race, making it an 80 km ride.
    Cassandra has also started a blog, as part of the Ride to Conquer Cancer program, which she has found very helpful and is giving her extra motivation, “When I wrote my story on the blog, it was sort of like a relief. When I finished, I sat back in my chair and cried for a little bit as it was re-living it a bit. The support I am getting from people I am sharing my story with, people I don’t see every day or people I don’t even know and talking about it really helps. It makes you know that you are not alone, that’s one of the biggest things I have found after everything happened, I have learned how much cancer has affected so many people.”
    Cassandra is opening an invitation to anyone in Drumheller who would like to join her in her training: “If anyone wants to go for a ride with me, people can leave me a comment and let me know if they want to join me, I am not your super fit cyclist type! If anyone wants to join me on my training, it will make it more fun.”
    Her aim is to raise $2,500 with this event, donations can be done through her blog, and she is also organizing a hot dog sale at IGA on April 17 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

For more info…

To make a donation or to see Cassandra’s blog, go to conquercancer.ca, click on Alberta, then “donate now” and search for Cassandra Knight.

To make a donation by phone, call 888-624-bike.

Two fined for cocaine possession

    Two Drumheller area residents were fined for possession of cocaine following a raid of area properties last summer.
    Phillip Judge and Christine Sorenson appeared in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday, March 26. Both were charged with possession of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking and possession of stolen property.
    They both pleaded guilty to the lesser of possession of cocaine.
    During the late evening hours of July 20 and the early morning hours of July 21, 2009, Drumheller RCMP, assisted by the Southern Alberta Emergency Response team, executed warrants at a property in Cambria, as well as a rural property North and East of Drumheller. Judge and Sorenson were charged along with five others following the raid.
    At the property where Sorenson and Judge were located, police found 12 grams of powdered cocaine.
    Defence explained both had made serious changes to their lifestyle since the event.
    Judge, who has no previous related record was fined $750. Sorenson has one previous conviction about a month before this incident was fined $1,000. The couple’s second count of possession of stolen property was withdrawn.

Community Futures receives $196,400 RCAP grant for business planning

Community Futures Big Country announced in a press release that they have been awarded a grant by the Rural Community Adaptation Fund.
    This first portion of a total grant application of just under $400,000, together with the matching fund from partners, is giving the project a budget of $200,000.
    This will allow for a business plan to be prepared for the implementation and operation of a health training post secondary institution.
    This initiative is still looking at using the old hospital building as a possible location for the institution, although Webber highlighted, “At this point, because we are in the planning stage, we are not ruling any opportunities out.”
    Jordan Webber, now project manager of this initiative, told The Mail that the Town of Drumheller and Community Futures Big Country are formal funding partners in this initiative and other municipalities will be approached now the grant has been approved.
    “This has been made possible because of the support we have experienced from the community and local businesses up to this point and we are very grateful and excited by what this means for the future,” said Webber.
    This grant will also enable consultants to be engaged, whom Webber confirmed will be coming on board April 1.
    The project leadership team was also announced.
    With Webber as project manager, Jon Ohlhauser, who had up to now been volunteering his time and expertize for this project, has also been appointed as project leader.
    Community Futures will be hosting a public forum on April 8 at 7:00 pm at the Newcastle Community Hall, where they will be outlining the next steps of the project.
    The business planning phase is anticipated to be fully completed in six months.

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