Pictures and Videos from a weekend in the Valley - Bulldogs Home Opener and Tail Gate Party, 2008 Toy Run!

Rick and I ready to man the booth for another year...Of course the banner below honours Travis Cross there to drop the puck for the Dogs home opener.The Grizz broadcast team. Colour man Dan Webb smiles for the camera while play-by-play man Scott Didmon does what he does best!

Your 2008-2009 Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
Travis Cross addresses the crowd.
And then drops the puck as James Kerr and Lee Baldwin take the ceremonial face-off.Now, on to Saturday and the 2008 Port Alberni Toy Run!

Below - Patiently awaiting the arrival of the Bikes with the Peak Community Cruiser. Or maybe not so patiently, haha!

And here they come!

Lotsa bikes!
That's The Peak's own Wanda Keene in the Toy Run smiling for a picture!
The Toy Run gives a very Merry Christmas to a lot of kids that might not otherwise have one. Exhibit A - look at the toys!

Interviewing ToyRun Chair Scott Louden on the air. It's getting to be a yearly occurance that on Toy Run Saturday I manage to steal Scott to be on the air for three minutes and talk about YET AGAIN another record breaking Toy Run. Congrats to Scott and crew again for all they do for the Valley.

No, it's not just bikes that come, it's the people of the Valley. Like most stands are at events around this place, the ones at the Toy Run were packed.


Dinner. I named her "Charity" the pig, in honor of the Toy Run Charity of course. Thanks goes to Dave Wiwchar from A News, and the Toy Run Society for sending the below pics in. Some great shots of the bikes out getting ready at Little Qualicum Falls, and the last one of the Bikes heading down Johnston Road is an awesome shot!


Boston Pizza held a Tail Gate party after yesterday's game to sign kids up for the Bulldogs Kid's Club and raise money for the KIDSPORT Charity. Below - Eliot Raibl does his best Tom Cruise impression.

Adam Hout working hard.
Lots of kids came out for Road Hockey with the Bulldogs

Matt Frydrysek mans the pipes. Man who let THIS GUY play net? I yelled "Hey Matty" to take the picture. A split second after this image, he was burned 5-hole by a 5 year old. Focus Matty, focus.
Beautiful sun over Boston Pizza. And a true beauty in the helmet ready to go!
I wish these guys weren't injured....Frank Slubowski and Jackson Garrett man the Pizza tent.
Warren Muir gets goalie tips from Bernie
And now some videos!

Trying the Blogger video stuff for the first time, hope it works!

That's it for now....More later!

Hammer

Clippers 3, Bulldogs 1. Rematch tonight at 7pm at the DOG POUND, Salmon Festival opening ceremonies(updated to add pictures)

The Bulldogs fell to 1 and 2 in exhibition while the Clippers improved their record to 1 and 2 with a 3-1 win over the Dogs last night.

Just going by newspaper write ups, this game was opposite as you can get from the 10-5 loss the Dogs suffered Monday in Victoria in a game of firewagon hockey.

Here's more - "Clippers up and down in 3-1 win over Bulldogs" from the Nanaimo Daily News and written by Michael Rhode.

Click HERE to read it

And thanks to Dan for sending me the story!

I didn't make it down to the game....I even planned to get some pics and video from the Salmon Fest opening ceremonies at 7pm and then head to Nanaimo for the rest of the game but just be late. That plan fell through due to the fireworks...and what a fireworks show it was!

When I have time I will post some pictures and even some videos from the opening ceremonies and the rest of the fest!

Hammer

Update here's some pictures at least for now!
World famous Kiwanis Salmon BBQ Dinner. Best nine bucks you might ever spend.

Bear Tracks.... Too many lumberjacks not wanting their picture taken or I would have got one of them too haha.
CJAV has been around Salmon Fest for a LONG TIME. We were also one upon a time "AV1240 The Source" and now we're known at 93.3 THE PEAK FM. Due to the historical significance of the call letters, they were kept when we flipped to FM three years ago...Is that how long it's been? We now operate as "CJAV-FM Port Alberni"
Me and the hero of Port Alberni, Travis Cross!


autographs
O' Canada by Caitlyn Royendyk
And then Travis rings the bell to open Salmon Fest!
Beautiful to watch, hard to photograph! The Quality Foods Fireworks Display from the deck of Bat-Star.

Travis Cross to address community at Salmon Fest Opening Ceremonies Friday Night!

Another cool thing in the incredible story that is Travis Cross and Port Alberni.

Here's an email I received today from Port Alberni Fire Chief Tim Pley:

Hi Evan, I'm hoping that you can help us get a message out regarding a public homecoming for Travis Cross. Travis will be on stage at the Salmon Festival at 7 PM on Friday evening. This will be Travis' opportunity to publicly thank the community and the Community's opportunity to show Travis how proud we are him.

Thanks, Tim


Of course I'm all over promoting this!!

I have lined up an interview with Tom McEvay Friday at 8:10am on the 93.3 The Peak FM morning show to get one final update on the Alberni Wrestling Delegation's trip to China corresponding with Travis' Olympic Debut.

I just REALLY hope that Tom doesn't show up with a copy of his phone bill from all those calls he made to THE PEAK to give us on-air updates from the journey!

That's it for now....TONNES of news to get to tomorrow!

Hammer