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www.celtic-connection.com
OCTOBER 2002
MICK HURLEY, President of Local 323 of the Burnaby Firefighters Union, with the volunteer construction team setting up tents and the stage. (L-R) Sean Quinn, Tom Butler, Ivan Douglas, Pat Warren, and John McQuade and (centre) young Marlowe Lewis-Mahon.
RUNNERS were up bright and early to participate in the event which raised funds to support the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society.
NEVILLE THOMAS of the Celtic Heritage Society with Burnaby City Councillor Barbara Der and Malachy Mahon.
Burnaby Heights on the Run
A Great Day to Celebrate Celtic Culture
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER - The morning of Saturday, September 21 dawned bright and glorious, a great day for the Burnaby Heights on the Run event. It was very much a family fun day with the proceeds in support of the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society.
Tents and a stage were set-up at the 3800 block of Hastings Street, the proposed site of the new Celtic Cultural Centre. The Celtic Heritage Society and The Celtic Connection provided free coffee, Irish soda bread and ice cream for the children.
Runners, Honourable Members of Parliament, Burnaby City Council and Heights Merchants representatives, along with families, children, and even dogs, all enjoyed the Celtic atmosphere. The Celtic group Ballyhooley, along with Doug Medley of the Halifax Wharf Rats provided lively reels, jigs and songs that had people dancing and singing.
All of this entertainment took place at 9 AM, an ungodly hour for musicians to be playing bodhrans, fiddling and singing. Rory Sharpe of Ballyhooley said, "there are two firsts for me today...I have never played on a stage at 9 AM before, but what gives me the greatest pleasure is to be the first Celtic band to play on the very ground where the new Celtic Centre will be built."
Mick Hurley, President of the Burnaby Firefighters Union, said "This was our first annual Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society run and it was very successful."
Much of the thanks and credit for the success of the day would have to go to the Burnaby Firefighters and volunteers from the Celtic community who built the stage and put up the tents. They were on hand all day to help out wherever it was needed and had a fun time doing it.
All of this was a great start for the first event on the hallowed ground that will one day be the Celtic Centre.
JIM PURCELL was the Master of Ceremonies for the Burnaby on the Run event. He is shown here with Councillor Redmond of the Burnaby City Council and Malachy Mahon.
CATHOLINE BUTLER of The Celtic Connection baked all the Irish soda bread for the event. Runners and visitors alike devoured the bread.
THE CELTIC GROUP Ballyhooley, with fiddler Doug Medley of the Halifax Wharf Rats, supplied energetic music throughout the day for the Burnaby Heights on the Run event.
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SHARON KEOUGH, the Treasurer of the Celtic Heritage Society with Svend Robinson, Member of Parliament, and Malachy Mahon, the President of the Celtic Heritage Society.
THE CELTIC CONNECTION provided complimentary coffee and fresh Irish soda bread for hungry runners and visitors to the site of the proposed new Celtic cultural centre.
COLLEEN CARPENTER of The Celtic Connection was on hand to serve the popular Irish soda bread and coffee. Mick Hurley, President of the Irish Sporting and Social Club, who is also a Burnaby firefighter, is seen here (second from right).