[ran Funding event set for r Sunday night MONEY AND media attention - have been secant: for franian polo victim Hossein Nikzaban's world wheelchair marathon. By fan Noble News Reporter Compared with Rick Hansen's two-wheeled tour, a front-and-cen- tre monetary success, Nikzaban's «Journey has languished in obscurity. His _.. Self-Belief Wheelchair Marathon Around the World has not raised an excess penny. | In’ fact,’ he has’ only raised enough money to keep himself and Parviz Taati, who rides-in a cus- tomized Toyota Land Cruiser beside Nikzaban, on the road. i, But just berely, = ’ Speaking through interpreter and’ Vancouver resident Simon Hariri at - Lonsdale Quay, Nikzaban said :the important fundraising ‘aspect of his ., journey has been disappointing. - He wants to use the money.to establish an institution in Iran to raise awareness that wheel-- chair-bound people can live their lives like others. ” That issue is pressing in Iran, where there are few wheelchair-accessible buildings. People con- fined to wheelchairs often stay home. ‘Although the’ cash has not: poured in, -Nikzaban’s said his travels have been fruitful. Nikzaban’s two-wheeled journey furthers two . other goals — promoting self- belief and an active “Tifestye. : -By undertaking the extensive trip, Nikzaban ‘believes he can prove disabilities do not raise bar- riers to accomplishing life goals. * “ft is-your will, and if you have it you can do _anything you want to do,” he said. Since Nikzaban began his travels i in 1986, he has: “completed _ 17,000-kilometre . (10,625-mile) tours of Iran and Europe, as well as a one-and- -a- “half. ‘year trip in Asia.’ From page 1. * dane 2S with’ the younger people. ‘It’s not going to be the same,” said’ the: 70- -year-old ‘West Vancouver resident. “The YMCA celebrates 50 years “on:the North Shore this year. Fifteen of those years were spent at.its present location, 1735 Inglewood ‘Ave. The address is the: site of the first, high-school build- fing in West Vancouver. : “Inglewood Centre is owned by. j the.’ West Vancouver School : District (WVSD). ‘ “The school district had leased it’ to.. the municipality of West: .. Vancouver, which in turn licensed , it the YMCA. ‘The: municipality. and the “YMCA terminated their agree- ments when it’ was learned that extensive renovations would have -’ “sfate of the building. .. ‘to ‘be.;made to the 68-year-old building ‘to’ meet fire and safety codes. The school district has yet to make a‘decision ‘regarding the ooThe: North’ Shore. Family ZYMCA’s” new. effices, 595. Burley Dr. in West Vancouver, will ‘open Wednesday, Sept.. 6, ‘Two ‘full-time and five _Part- “time Positions have been eliminated “with the -move. AML weight- room equipment ‘has been donated to the West Vancouver Recreation Commission for use in the West Vancouver Recreation Centre ; and Eagle Harbour Community, Centre. . According to Kathy Cunningham, manager of the North Shore Family - YMCA, the search is-still on for a gymnasium for youth basketball and a facility from which to run the,Y’s popular daycamps for kids, Red Cross babysitting course and Te: udership training for teens. Programs that the Y has cancelled include karate, indoor sveeer, reere~ ational. volleyball, weight training, the marathon clinic, —and Hines instructor courses. j As for the fitness classes. “the search 4 is oven ‘said Cunni rs | re ies ram Since coming to Canada in May, he has wheeled through Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto on his way to Vancouver. Arriving Jin’ North Vancouver . Sunday. Nikzaban was greeted by a full house at the dis- trict hall. He called Sunday a ‘good day and thanked those who came out to support him. Nikzaban said Canada has been his favorite country of the 37 he has visited because Canadians accept disabled people without pitying them: He attributes that acceptance to famous endurance athletes: such as Rick Hansen and Terry Fox,.who Nikzaban had not heard of until he arrived in Canada. Nikzaban, who does not speak English, learned the names of the two through sheer repe- tition. Canadians: greeting him continually brought up Hansen and;Fox, leading Nikzaban to_ its new facilities. ham. NEWS photo Brad Lodwidge : IRANIAN TRAVELLER Hossein Nikzaban recently completed a wheelchair journey across Canada with assistance from Parviz Taati. A fund-raiser for Nikzaban’s worid tour will be held Sunday. ask his friends who Fox and Hansen were. Now, he wants to meet Hansen. Nikzaban added he’s impressed with: the access people with disabilities have to buildings in Canada. Nikzaban is ‘staying in North Vancouver while he awaits a U:S. visa. The 38-year-old Tehran resident plans to trav- el to Texas and Mexico for the next segment of his journey. The father of four lost the use of his legs at age three due to polio. Donations to the Self Belief of Hossein Nikzaban tour can be made at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, account number } 122932 and transit number 04712. ’ An Iranian cultural. fundraiser with singing, music and dancing will be held Sunday at 6 p.m. at Centennial Theatre on Lonsdale Avenue in. North Vancouver. | & £ We'd been looking for a whole year. « g 9 — Anna Wyman on search for new home 1763 Bellevue Ave., starting Wednesday, Sept. 6. Childminding : and evening, advanced classes have been cut.) Cunningham said membership is down to 260 from ‘approximately 500. - two years ago. She is hopeful that * ‘loyal members” will follow the Y to: Beare Beck. who regularly attends the Pump Primers morning workout for former cardiac-care patients, is nol as optimistic. ““A Jot of us are gonna go down to the Masonic Hall and ry it, “he said. “Bul we're going to be disappointed, I'm sure.” For Beck and others like Judy Christie, ‘a (O-year member and. volun- ‘teer fitness instructor, the most upsetting aspect of the move is the loss of. interaction between programs and members — the sense of community,” Christie will not be renewing her membership. “The backbone of the, Y has been broken and the heart and: soul are gone” tid Christie. cg ; Bey a and~ out, “mis-identified, ICBC \ stats show result From page 1 tun police reports. Strand deals: with about 25 files a week. An ICBC adjustor and vehicle damage estimator work togeth- eron a given hit and run insur- ance claim. Police combined 5 forces with ICBC in June. | In July, 118 North?’ “Vancouver claimants made a .§ . hit and run appointment .at a - local claim centre. Twenty one (18%) of the claimants didn't show for their. appointments.. .§ © Of those who did show; 20 -§ (21%) had their hit and run claims denied by ICBC. In West Vancouver, ‘about the same number of -drivers: don't show for their appoint- ments at the’ Lloyd’ Avenue claim centre, according to West Vancouver Police ‘Sgt. John - Looye. who heads. the traffic section, . i. Three of the: 15 (20%) hit § and .run reports a. West §: Vancouver traffic officer han- . § dies in a day are disallowed as: § claims by ICBC, said Looye. “Our guys are liking it. We are rejecting a fair amount o: hit and runs, We are becoming ; more expert at it,” said Looye. °: “They (ICBC) ‘have’ the! . final say on the claim. We have no say on the claim whatsoev-’i er. he added. : | ' Looye said West Vancouver, 7 claimants don’t show up at the’ claim’ centre for various’ rea-: sons. i Both Looye’ and Strand say’ - that technical expertise by the’ ICBC estimator . along with; input by the adjustor comple: | « ments police work. The police officers’ say}: © bogus hit and runs are revealed: i , when: Fa the damage i is too higho or (00; low to-have ‘been caused by! A . another vehicle: 4 & no paint is transferred from ‘the car which supposedly left! the scene; ! Bicurved scuff marks or scuff marks’ containing , non- -vehicle | debris like creosote are present. Said? Strand, “lt had. one‘! come in where the..guy was claiming.a hit and run-and Slarted digging in the tail light came chunks of cement, i “He wis ata loss as to how | § the chunks of ‘cement got! § there... Maybe it was a cement ; truck (Gvhich hit his car)! laughed Strand. Looye said a Wes Vancouver traffic officer. may! note in the police report: that). cause of the damage was ofa! ‘dubious. nature or ‘damage ori: -§ egin was unknown, | “Or: we ‘might say it deli- nitely , was not a-hit and run: ‘the concrete is still impeded." ; said Looye. * According to ICBC statis- tics, $162. million was. paid after 1,334 Norih Shore hit and run claims. were: settled, las year, ICBC estimated that 306 0.40% of ‘Claimants are denied ; “money or abandon their claim: “Many” hit. and crun. reports; turn out to be fraudulent:or caccording to: