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8 The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 22, 2006_______________________ - S.E.N.A.C.A. is pleased to announce the grand opening of their second Adult Day Program at 2521 Dundas Street West (comer of Bronte and Dundas). S.E.N.A.C.A. Seniors Day Program Halton Inc. has been supporting families in their caregiving roles for over twenty-five years. We currently have spaces available in our adult programs for adults with special needs Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm. For more information please call 905337 ST. DOMINIC PARISH _ 2415 RebeccaStreet, Oakville TR A D ITIO N CONTINUES: RETREAT/MISSION - "The Presence of God in my life" M arch 25 to 31 - Father Claudio Piccinini preaching Lord's Day Eucharist Saturday, March 25 at 5:00 p.m. Sunday March 26 at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Sunday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening (no Eucharist) "The Presence of God in my life" Eucharist all other evenings Monday Tuesday Wednesday ThursdayFriday "The Presence of Evil in my life" "The Presence of God in prayer" "The Presence of God in the sacraments" "The Presence o f God in Mary" "The Presence of God in the Passion and Death of Jesus" Eddie Williams (left)>/ho completed his 30th annual St. Patrick's Day walk from Toronto to Oakville, was joined this year by first-timers, Agatha Platiel and Dave Witt. The walk dates to 1922 when Irishmen walked from Toronto to Oakville during prohibition days in search of beer. Eddie Williams completes 30th St. Patrick's Day walk By Wilma Blokhuis OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF J o i n u s f o r t h i s t i m e o f b le s s in g . U L T IM A T ED R IV E R S 8 :www.ultimatedrivers.ca <31 Qj Certificate for nighest insurance discount issued by MTO. Qj Classroom also available in evenings and weekends. Q| Our in-car sessions include training on highways, freeways, night-time, collision prevention and winter driving. 01 FREE pickup from home, work or school for car lessons. Q| Special preparation & evaluation for the Ministry Road Test. Q| Fleet of new model cars, flexible time seven days a week. Si Early Road Test arranged, GI & G2 refresher courses. G ift C e r t if ic a t e s A v a ila b le 15 Years of E xcellen t S ervice ""ZVe S it* tfo C y tJ le " Seat 9 0 5 -8 2 5 - 1 1 7 2 407 Speers Rd , Suite 205, Oakville They made it. Eddie Williams, 54, accompanied by Agatha Platiel, 68, and Dave Witt, 40, walked 40 kilometres from Toronto City Hall to Oakville on St. Patrick's Day - but no green beer was consumed. Platiel wore her pedometer and recorded 16,963 steps. They walked an estimated six kilometres per hour. Williams, who lives in Flamborough, but was raised and educated in Oakville, had orange juice. Platiel, who now resides in Burlington, but had lived in Oakville for 43 years, and Witt, had water. "Green beer disagrees with me," said Williams. For him it's the walk that's important - not the beer. ' "Green beer doesn't appeal to me," said Platiel. Asked if he likes green beer, Witt said no. Nevertheless, the trio maintained a tradition that began in 1922 when Irishmen walked from Toronto to Oakville during alcohol prohibition days in search of beer. For Williams, it was his 30th annual St. Patrick's Day walk. "When I took over in 1976 from Barney Heard, who had done it for 20 years, I never thought I would be doing it for 30 years," said Williams, who vowed to do the walk again next year. Before Heard, Charlie Priestman had upheld the tradition for sev eral years. Williams wore his green Toronto St. Pats hock ey jersey, pants and top hat. "The St. Pats, who won the Stanley Cup in 1922 became the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1927 and for the team' s 75th anniversary they made 3,000 of these green shirts available to the public, so I bought one. I've worn this shirt since my 2002 walk." Next year he may wear a new shirt. " When I was coming down Southdown Road towards Lakeshore Road in Mississauga, a guy came running out of his house and gave me a green Southwick shirt. T waited for you all day,' he told me. He sat on His porch, waiting for me, all day." Platiel sported a St. Patrick' s Day t-shirt and Witt - who caught everybody by surprise with his last-minute decision to do the walk - wore a dark green jacket. Williams also carried a walking stick he found on Green Street in Burlington, topped with a green `flag' he found along the route last year. Of the three, only Williams is part Irish. Platiel is of Dutch heritage and Witt described himself as Canadian. Friday's sunny weather was perfect, said Platiel. "Too hot," said Williams. "I prefer cold, cloudy days." Platiel and Witt arrived at the Prime Time Sports Bar in downtown Oakville shortly after 3:30 p.m., and Williams arrived shortly before 4 p.m., accompanied by his six-year-old son Tiger Williams. "Tiger likes walking and hopefully he'll continue this tradition when he's older," he said. The trio maintained the same pace until Southdown Road when people stopped their cars to chat with Williams. "That slowed me down a bit, but I think I made good time." Williams said his job at Home Depot in Burlington keeps him physically fit, "I'm on my feet eight hours a day. I do a lot of walking. When I was going to school in Oakville I ran marathons," he said. "Eddie is such an. inspiration," said Platiel. "It was wonderful. The weather was just perfect. Walking is good for the soul, and good for reducing your stress level. It was awesome." Platiel trains with WOW Power Walking Company group that meets at Vinnie's Cafe in Bronte. Originally she planned to continue on to Vinnie's, but abandoned the idea in favour of a hot bath with Epsom salts. "WOW is my greatest inspiration for walking," she said. Asked if she would walk next year, Platiel said, "It would be a great to celebrate my upcoming 70th birthday." Witt said he would also like to do the walk next year. "I'll be better prepared." He's been walking on a treadmill for two to three years with the thought of walking with Williams in the back of his mind. "I wanted to do it last year, but I couldn't get the time off work," he said, "but now I have a new job and I was able to get the day off. "I've read about Williams' St. Patrick' s Day walk and I've thought about doing it for years. "The walk was pretty tough, but it was fun."