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Are You Ready for the Natasha Paterson Memorial Car Show?

August 12, 2016   ·   0 Comments

By Michelle Janzen

 

Mark Sunday August 21 on your calendar so that you don’t miss the First Annual Natasha Paterson Memorial Car Show, being held at the newly named Natasha Paterson Memorial Park.

Natasha tragically lost her life at last year’s Fiddleville Parade on August 8, 2015, when her horse was spooked and fell on top of her.

Since her passing, her parents, and in particular her father Duncan, have been tirelessly working to have a portion of the park’s name changed and a sign erected in her honour.

The naming of the park took lots of meetings, emails and a petition that was presented to the town. Because of this, the Town of Shelburne has implemented a lengthy list of criteria when someone requests a change of name to parks, pavilions, and so forth in the area, which had previously not been in place.

In fact, the changes will make the process easier for the future.

This past Thursday, August 4, just shy of the first anniversary of Natasha’s passing, the new signage was installed and just in time for this year’s parade, to which a minute of silence was observed at the park before the parade started as well as on Main Street when all Emergency Service Workers stepped out of their vehicles to honour Natasha.

“This was a very long, hard, stressful year for my wife and I, and although this does not bring us closure it does make us feel like we accomplished something,” Duncan tells the Shelburne Free Press. “Finding a compromise between grief and joy is a very hard thing to do.”

With that, Duncan has decided to hold a car show in Natasha’s name on August 21 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., at the Natasha Paterson Memorial Park, located on Gordon Street in Shelburne, across from Centre Dufferin District High School.

In doing so, Duncan plans on donating funds raised to Dufferin Child and Family Services as well as the Bethel House Hospice.

“I want to see the money go to kids for something like child grief therapy or dog therapy,” says Duncan. “It’s all about the kids.”

“As long as the weather is good, we should get a good number of vehicles participating.”

When asked why a car show, he tells of how Natasha always asked him to take her to the Dairy Queen in Orangeville for an ice cream in his 1934 Ford Tudor when it was a nice day out.

When approaching businesses to donate to the First Annual Natasha Paterson Memorial Car Show Duncan says he was overwhelmed by the amount of support he is receiving and, in one instance, a store owner told him that he carried around the Shelburne Free Press article about Natasha’s passing to remind him how precious every day with your loved ones is.

“I can’t believe the impact our story has had on them,” says Duncan.

“Not only do we hope to raise funds for these two great causes at the car show, we hope that this event brings more revenue to the entire town,” he adds.

With confirmed cars coming from as far away as Toronto and Lindsay, as well as Duncan’s 1934 Ford Tudor and Teresa’s 1965 Mustang, the show should be nothing less then sensational. Duncan tell us that there will be a silent auction table, raffle table, 50/50 draws and T-Shirts for sale with all proceeds going to the two charities.

As well, Slickters Hot Dogs will be on site cooking and also donating all of their profits from the day to the Car Show, an Ice Cream truck, live jazz music with Saxalicous and Jennifer & Carolos, and the first 150 cars will receive dash plaques.

For more information on the 1st Annual Natasha Paterson Memorial Car Show go to www.89autosales.com or call 416-898-2163.

“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.”

         

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