BY ROD HANSEN
Snowmobile enthusiasts, junior skaters and fishing aficionados were among the dozens of souls to brave the arctic temperatures at the Family Fun Day at Weare’s Lake Horace on Saturday, Feb. 17.
While laughter and cheering could be heard above the din of snowmobiles gliding atop the lake’s frozen surface, the purpose of the day carried a somber note as well.
Money raised from the Weare Winter Wanderers Snowmobile Club radar run speed competition will be used to help the families of two youths fighting serious illness, event organizers said.
Renee Hart, 14, of Weare is battling a lymph node disease, while 1-year-old Declan Rourke of Bedford fights childhood brain cancer. Both youths are being treated at Children’s Hospital in Boston, and the Weare Winter Wanderers will donate proceeds from races called radar runs to help pay for the families’ medical and travel expenses.
“People can go to any radar run they want to in the state, but a lot of them are here because they know it will benefit a good cause,” said Mike O’Donnell, a member of the Weare Winter Wanderers who helped organize the event.
The Weare Winter Wanderers have been hosting a family fun day for years, and last year tied the event to fundraising efforts to benefit Hart, O’Donnell said.
Contestants could enter the radar run in five classes, with a $20 ticket allowing them unlimited runs at a 660-foot course or a $15 fee earning contestants six runs in a 1,000-foot race run on Saturday afternoon, O’Donnell said. Racers reach speeds in excess of 100 mph.
The first $2,000 raised would be matched by the Winter Wanderers, O’Donnell said.
The morning hours saw a steady stream of contestants purchasing tickets, with 41 competitors registered by 12:30 p.m. While most of the snowmobiles were of modern origin, a number of vintage machines were also registered to compete.
Word of the fundraiser came as welcome news to the Hart family, who did not know the radar runs would again benefit Renee this year.
The family learned of the fundraiser after son-in-law Chris Sevigny saw an announcement of an event in a local snowmobile repair shop.
“We were real excited and Renee wanted to go, but she couldn’t make it,” said mother Noreen Hart from Children’s Hospital in Boston. The family has spent most of their time at the hospital since July, and the recurring illness has prevented Renee from starting her freshman year at John Stark Regional High School, Noreen Hart said.
Renee has had problems with her lymphatic system since birth, but the illness became more pronounced in the summer of 2004, Noreen said.
“We just want to thank the Weare Winter Wanderers and let them know how much we appreciate their support,” Noreen Hart said.
While the Winter Wanderers’ radar runs accounted for much of the day’s activities, other local groups also contributed to the day’s festivities.
Members of the local Sons of the American Legion hosted a fishing derby and provided food at the event, while members of the Weare ATV club tended a bonfire near the lake.
While supplying food to attendees, the Sons of the American Legion also collected entrees in the fishing derby, which were to be judged on weight, said First Vice Commander Lonnnie Bean.
The fishing derby had attracted a field of 50 adults and 10 children by early afternoon, with cash prizes available to adults and children’s prizes donated from Zyla’s Auction House in Merrimack also on the table.
The Weare ATV Club’s primary function rested in managing the bonfire and checking for vehicle safety, said
club president Harry Brown.
“The bonfire is important because it gives people a place to come and warm up. Especially the kids, ” Brown said.