INGLESIDE – SDG OPP Constable Ivan Lalonde (pictured) is going to see his wish granted September 21 when he will have the chance to share one of his greatest accomplishments with his home town.
Lalonde, who was born and raised in Ingleside, is a member of the prestigious OPP Golden Helmets Precision Motorcycle Team.
Earlier this year he put a call out to the community to try to bring the Golden Helmets here for a show because, although he has been with the Golden Helmets since 2016, he has never had the opportunity to perform with them in his hometown.
That will change Saturday, September 21st at 1 p.m. when the Golden Helmets will perform as part of the Ingleside Family Fun Day in support of the Winchester District Memorial Hospital Foundation which takes place just south of the plaza.
The performance will be followed by a meet and greet with the Golden Helmets team.
For the members of the Golden Helmets, if an event takes place in one of the members’ hometowns they are given the special honour of becoming the ‘Hometown Hero’ for the show.
“It’s a real special honour,” Lalonde told The Leader in a January interview, before this event became a reality.
Monday Lalonde told The Leader that: “It means quite a lot to me to finally have a show in my community.”
While being the Hometown Hero is a great honour, Lalonde is most excited to be able to be part of giving his community the opportunity to see what the Golden Helmets can do and what a positive experience it is.
“There’s entirely too many negative police/public interactions,” said Lalonde adding that: “This is one of the most positive interactions anyone can experience.”
He did acknowledge that he definitely expects to have some extra jitters, performing in front of so many people he knows, but he is looking forward to it.
The Winchester Hospital Foundation invites everyone to join in the Ingleside Family Fun Day.
“We are planning a fun-filled day with something for everyone,” said Cindy Peters, WDMH foundation’s manager of direct mail and events.
“It’s a great chance to get together with family and friends and support local health care at the same time,” she said.
Attendees can look forward to kids’ activities including bouncy castles and crafts, entertainment, barbecue, photo booth and a teddy bear health care centre staffed by health care providers.
Local vendors and displays will be on site including a display from the SDG OPP. They will have ATVs, snowmobiles, cruisers and their marine boat unit on site.
There will be a 50/50 draw in support of the WDMH Foundation.
Admission is free, but donations to the WDMH Foundation will be accepted at various vendor booths and throughout the event area.
The event runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with the feature presentation by the Golden Helmets set for 1 p.m.
