There were smiles, and tears, along the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay route on Friday. Dozens of medal bearers made their way from Hope to Chawathil to Seabird Island and Agassiz, each carrying the medal in various ways.
While Wyatt John carried the medal from Hope to Chawathil via a white water raft, others ran, walked, rolled and even long boarded.
At Hope secondary school, students lined the front parking lot and outstretched their hands to give Hannah Evans high fives as she went by in her wheelchair.
At Agassiz Christian School, students and staff sang St. Elmo's Fire as Kaeden Van Oort received the medal from one of the relay's many endurance athletes. At Kent elementary, students released balloons for Danae Timmers, a student at the school.
The day ended with District of Kent Councillor Lorne Fisher walking the medal down Pioneer Avenue and into Pioneer Park. Students and residents cheered as many of the medal bearers for Agassiz gathered in the park, and eventually on stage.
The Relay will take a break on Saturday, May 12 and pick up again in Harrison Hot Springs on Sunday, May 13 at 11 a.m. It will travel back through Agassiz, then Rosedale and end in Chilliwack at Heritage Park, for an end of day celebration featuring a visit from Rick Hansen.
For a slideshow of the day's events, see this related story.