THE PARALYMPIC LANTERN will be part of the Hedon Mayor’s civic parade through the streets of Hedon on Sunday (30th September 2012).
This will give local residents and visitors to the area the opportunity to see this poignant symbol of the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality.
The East Riding Council has provided a bit of background information about Paralympics and its Tour of the East Riding:
At the closing ceremony for the Paralympic Games the country was encouraged to keep the flame alive and the council is meeting the challenge by continuing to tour the lantern.
The concept for the Paralympic Games emerged during the Second World War. In 1944, a doctor, Sir Ludwig Guttmann, was working with war veterans with spinal injuries when he started to think about using sport to help them. He was convinced that making them more active would help re-motivate them after serious injury. At the same time as the London Olympic Games in 1948, Dr Guttmann organised the first wheelchair Games at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire.
Over time, the games gained the official title of the Paralympic Games with 400 athletes taking part in the first event which was held to coincide with the Olympic Games in Rome 1960. Today, the Paralympic Games is the biggest multi-sport event for disabled athletes in the world with over 4000 participants from 140 countries taking part in 20 sports at the London 2012 event.
Once the tour has concluded, the lantern will reside at the Treasure House in Beverley.