CALL NOW TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT www.calliopesalon.ca Calliope Salon and Spa is an exclusive hairdressing and beauty experience geared towards a modern and futuristic lifestyle. w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Th ur sd ay , O ct ob er 2 8, 2 01 0 2 2 By Dianne Cornish METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP As with many life-threatening diseases, finding and funding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) boils down to a race against time. That reality, more than any other, serves as the guiding principle and motivation for Erics Amazing Race. The yearly car rally through the Flamborough/Halton countryside has raised $105,000 over the past seven years to help fund research into the disorder characterized by muscle degeneration, leading to loss of ambulation and eventual- ly death. The eighth annual race is on Saturday, Nov. 6, with the rally starting at the Bruce T. Lindley School (2510 Cavendish Drive) in north Burlington and ending at the Waterdown Legion Hall. All of the proceeds from the race and a silent auction at the Legion will go to Jesses Journey Foundation, a registered charitable organization that funds research toward effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for DMD. The Foundation is named after Jesse Davidson, a London man who lost his life to the disorder at age 29, the day before last years race. The local rally is named for Eric Morden, of Oakville, the 10-year-old nephew of Burlington residents Ted Lindsay and Heather Johnston. Eric is waging his own valiant battle against DMD. This is a family event put on by a fam- ily for families, said Lindsay, advertising manager for the Flamborough Review. The rally, which takes participants on a two-hour ride through the countryside to locate various landmarks and signs, attracted about 125 participants and 30 cars last year, while the auction drew more than 400 guests. This years auction, supported by local businesses and individuals, will feature about 200 items from basketball and hock- ey tickets to sports memorabilia and restaurant gift certificates. Other activities include a $10 sucker pull sponsored by Weeks of Waterdown, a kids silent auction table sponsored by City Parent and pizza for the whole family. There will also be live entertainment at the Waterdown Legion between 3 and 6:30 p.m. The fun includes songs and a magic show by Scott Graham of the Kids4Kids Leadership Program. Readings from Grahams Fantastical Town of Finkel series will entertain the younger set as well. At 6 p.m., the Burlington Teen Tour Band Drum Line will perform. Lindsay said he and his wife are moti- vated to organize the event each year by the slogan, How Far Would You Go For Someone You Love, adopted by Jesses dad, John, when he walked across Ontario in 1995 and across Canada in 1997-98 to raise funds for research and heighten awareness of DMD. No child should face a future that is fated to being confined to a wheelchair; where their body becomes a shell for non- functioning muscle groups, Lindsay said. Heather and I are ecstatic about the funds raised to date because we have the utmost confidence in Jesses Journey and the facil- ities that they have identified to allocate their research funds. But while research has resulted in encouraging advancements, it is truly a race against time as the search for a cure continues. Metroland West Media Group and the Flamborough Chamber of Commerce are major supporters of the rally, which also draws many donations from local busi- nesses. Donations for this years silent auc- tion are still being accepted. Registration will run from noon until 1 p.m. the day of the event and the auction will be held from 3 until 7 p.m. The cost is $10 per person. For more information or to make a donation, please contact Lindsay or Johnston at 905-331-6874 or email to teth- er69@hotmail.com. Erics Amazing Race ready for eighth rally AREND KERSTEN/ SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER DAY AT THE RACE: Ted Lindsay and his 10-year-old nephew, Eric, enjoy some time together at last years car rally to raise money in support of research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.