Annual barbecue has raised more than $50,000 for Special Olympics

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This article was published 26/08/2024 (588 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Even after 11 years, the excitement never wears off, says Heather Manuliak as she stands beside her husband Murray, surrounded by family, friends and Special Olympics athletes, Saturday afternoon in Brandon.

The event is an annual barbecue fundraiser for Special Olympics that the couple hosts to give thanks to the organization that helps three of their grandchildren.

“Since we started, we have raised well over $50,000,” Heather said.

“We have grandsons who are involved with Special Olympics,” Heather said. “So, I thought, let’s see what we can do to give back, because we’ve seen our grandkids grow with everything that they have done through sports.”

“It helps them with a sense of belonging overall, helping them come out of their shell. They might think, ‘Oh, well, I can’t join soccer because I’m not like the regular soccer players,’ but we have a soccer team, and everyone’s treated like family.”

Athlete Arthur Haggstrom said he has seen the benefits of the money raised from previous barbecues. He’s played floor hockey and 10-pin bowling and has competed in sports on the national and international stage.

“I went to China for 10-pin bowling and Alaska for floor hockey,” said Haggstrom. “So, this means a lot to us because we need the support behind us, because if we don’t have the support, we don’t have our clubs.”

Arlene Taggart is head coach and manager for Westman Special Olympics 10-pin bowling. Her husband Keith recently died from cancer, and she made a vow to keep the Wednesday and Saturday programs running.

“Keith started the program in 1995, and I promised I would carry on, for his memory and to help Murray and Heather,” Taggart said.

“This fundraising makes all the difference in the world to the athletes, because a lot of them are on very fixed incomes, and without the money they would not be able to go to tournaments and compete,” she said.

Laura Desmarais nodded in agreement and said, “I play floor hockey, five and 10-pin bowling — you name it, and I’ve been to Alaska, Halifax, B.C. twice, even Prince Edward Island and Ottawa.”

The fundraising barbecue had humble beginnings in 2014 said Murray, “When the boys first got involved in Special Olympics, we started out selling hot dogs, chips and drinks in the parking lot of the movie theatre in the south end of town.

“It went from there to the Keystone Centre grounds, and as the years went by we added music, a bouncy castle and face-painting for the kids, raffle draws, a car show and shine, our city police are here to show support, and all these people,” he said as he swept his arm to include those in attendance at the Riverbank Discovery Centre.

The Road Rebels Car Club had more than 50 vehicles registered for the show and shine said Dave Burba, the club’s president.

“We never hesitate to take part in the barbecue,” Burba said. “That’s what this club is all about — helping someone else and a good reason to get together with cars. It’s a feel-good day.”

While Murray and Heather checked on the smokies and his batch of baked beans, a shout from someone asking for 50/50 tickets drew Murray and his 18-year-old grandson Alex back to the crowd.

As Heather watched them, she chuckled about her husband, “He’s a softie, he tears up faster than I do emotionally, but we are both so thankful.”

Special athlete Stephen Campbell called the couple “awesome”, as he listed the sports that he’s played over the years — golf, ball hockey, and 10-pin bowling. But one of the sports he said he’s most recognized from is baseball.

Campbell’s photo is featured on the side of Murray’s semi trailer along with other athletes, celebrating their accomplishments in sport. The photo was taken in 2014, Campbell said for the Special Olympics nationals in Vancouver.

Murray has been a professional long-haul semi-truck driver for more than 25 years. One day, around 10 years ago, Heather said, she was with her husband in his Bison Transport truck coming back for a trip down south.

They were just outside of Winnipeg when Heather said they saw numerous trucks coming around the Perimeter Highway. “We found out it was for the world’s largest truck convoy, and we thought, ‘Oh, wow.’”

It was the Manitoba Trucking Association’s annual Truck Ride for Special Olympics. Semi-truck drivers who want to get involved pay a registration fee, raise money individually or in teams and show their support for the special athletes with a ride around the Perimeter.

The next convoy is Sept. 7, with the starting point at Île-des-Chênes — about 40 minutes southeast of downtown Winnipeg.

It was that big show of trucker support that she and her husband saw, Heather said, that started their fundraising wheels turning. She was instrumental is asking Bison Transport to paint the side of Murray’s trailer with the collage of Special Olympians.

And since Murray is the driver who has raised the most money for September’s truck ride, he will be placed at the front of the convoy, Heather said.

“The driver who is second in fundraising pulls the end of the convoy, and Murray has been the lead truck in the convoy three times, but we’re not in it just to get lead truck,” she added. “We do it for a reason, because it’s right here in our heart.”

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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