Published on November 16, 2011.
Doreen Dawang
NEWS REPORTER
Disability services officer Alessia Di Virgilio was chosen to be Humber’s official medal bearer for Rick Hansen’s 25th Anniversary Relay, which stopped by North campus last week.
Retracing the original route Hansen travelled on his Man in Motion tour 25 years ago, the Relay began on Aug. 24 in Cape Spear, N.L., and will conclude in Vancouver B.C. on May 22. By the time the Relay wraps up, about 7,000 people will have passed the Rick Hansen Medal from hand to hand across Canada.
DiVirgilio received a warm welcome from faculty and students as she rode in her power chair into the college’s main entrance, followed by seven other participants from the Etobicoke community.
“I’m glad to be representing Humber,” DiVirgilio said. “I’ve been working here for two years, and we’ve come a long way in providing initiatives and barrier-free access for people with disabilities.”
DiVirgilio’s colleagues nominated her as a medal bearer for her contributions to the disabilities department, and initiatives at Humber.
“Alessia is a great contributor to the Humber community,” said Humber’s president John Davies, “Humber staff are proud of making sure our college is accessible to those who face challenges every day.”
Davies and Bryan Tran, the Humber Students’ Federation president, presented a donation of $1,000 to the Rick Hansen Foundation for spinal cord injury research. Davies said it was an honour for Humber to be a part of this event.
“We always try our best to eliminate boundaries for the disabled.”
Lisa Clement, the Relay’s media specialist, said Hansen’s vision for this tour is to empower the next generation with his story – people who were not alive during Hansen’s first cross-Canada tour can be inspired to create change.
“It doesn’t matter your adversity – you can make a difference in the world,” Clement said.
“It’s not just about me, who is a person with a visible disability,” Di Virgilio said, “but recognizing that we have come a long way.”
Doreen Dawang 