30th Anniversary This Week MD fundraiser at Mesachie Lake is second to none

After 30 years and more than half a million dollars raised for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, there is always something amazing about the annual Mesachie Lake MD Ball Tournament and Auction, which runs Thursday through Sunday at the Sky Dome.

Whether it’s a $6,000 bid for two muscular dystrophy decals or Cathy King chanting “Olay, olay, olay, Cow Bay,” the event is a tradition second to none anywhere at Cowichan Lake.

It was originally organized as a ball tournament in 1979 to raise money for an upgrade to the Mesachie Lake fire hall and continued for a few years, when its focus changed to becoming a fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

It became personal when Nick and Sherry Sohye from Mesachie Lake learned their son Adam had muscular dystrophy. Shortly after that, Duncan fireman Doug Robertson and his wife Debbie discovered their son Grady also had MD.

“When we found out about our son, Adam, and Doug and Debbie’s son, Grady, participating halls adopted the boys as their own and the tourney took on a whole new meaning,” recalled Sherry Sohye. “Everyone has since been committed to raising money to fight muscular dystrophy and as some of us have gotten older, new members have banded together to keep the cause alive.”

For Nick Sohye, who is currently Mesachie Lake’s fire chief, the weekend fundraiser never ceases to blow him away.

“It’s just amazing,” he said. “The support we get, I just can’t say enough about it.”

The 30th Annual Mesachie Lake MD Ball Tournament and Auction, organized by the Mesachie Group, begins Thursday with a 30-kilometre walk starting at 6 a.m. from Mill Bay Centre.

Representatives from the eight participating fire departments — Mesachie Lake, Honeymoon Bay, Lake Cowichan, Youbou, Caycuse, Duncan, Cowichan Bay and Langford — expect to be walking through Lake Cowichan mid-afternoon and arriving at the Mesachie Lake Sky Dome at 5 p.m.

Along the way, they will have a large fireman’s boot on the back of an accompanying emergency vehicle, into which the public is invited to make donations.

The ball tournament begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, with games resuming on Saturday morning and wrapping up Sunday.

The opening ceremonies will be held on Saturday, after the third game at about 12:30 p.m., which will include bagpipes and some special guests from Muscular Dystrophy Canada, as well as local dignitaries.

The auction follows at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with Youbou firefighter Jeff Abbott as auctioneer. He had been calling bingo at the Elks Hall when he was asked to do the auction in Mesachie Lake 28 years ago.

Abbott’s expert calling of the auction and quick wit fit in perfectly with the mood of the fundraiser.

“I think the camaraderie is the best part of the weekend for me,” said Abbott. “It’s definitely one of the highlights of the year for me.”

About halfway through the auction, eight-year-old Kalliana King of Cowichan Bay will be getting her flamingo pink hair shaved off to raise extra money, because her friend Adam has MD.

Her goal is $500. Kalliana is the daughter of Cathy King, a longtime supporter of the Mesachie Lake MD Ball Tournament and Auction.

“She’s done awesome and I can tell you she’s exceeded her original goal of $500,” said Cathy. “I’m very proud of her and the support she has received has been absolutely overwhelming.”

For Cathy, who has been attending the event since she was 16 years old and has put her own stamp on the event, it’s a very special weekend. She has become best friends with Adam Sohye and couldn’t imagine not attending.

“The reason this weekend is so special is because it feels like coming home every year,” she said. “The sense of family, bonds and emotions of this weekend goes far beyond the baseball. The people who attend this tournament come with a passion, a huge passion to raise money to help fight a disease that people we know and love are affected with.

“It’s the most heart warming, amazing weekend you could attend. Where else do you see hugs, laughs, tears, camaraderie, and baseball and people spending money in a fun loving way that tops in the $40,000 range? It’s truly amazing and it’s really our Mesachie Family.”

Anyone who wants to make a donation to the MD fund but can’t attend the tournament and auction can send a cheque to The Mesachie Group, Cowichan Bay Fire Department, 4461-Trans Canada Highway, Cowichan Bay, BC, V0R 1N0.