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They do. See the picture above this column. Looks like four kids just having a bit of fun dressing up like cheerleaders, right? Wrong. Their names are Sandy Haupt, 11, Julie Gardner, 10, and brother and sister Nikki and Michael Bryce, ages 10 and nine respectively. And they have a very important purpose. They were at Cameron Heights last weekend to cheer on their dads. who just happen to be some of the best basketâ€" ball players around. Uh, wheelchair basketball players that is. That qualifying statement is no slight to their talents either. Just try someday sitting in a wheelchair, moving or stationary. and see how easy it is to dribble a basketball or sink a bucket. It isn‘t. But it was no shock to me Monday to stand and watch these athletes (and I do not use the term loosely) sit and play with furious action. intelligent strategy and all the grace that can be mustered in a sport governed as much by chrome as by body and mind. No. I saw it all before covering the 1976 Canada Games for the Physically Disabled in Cambridge. when the best wheelâ€" chair players in the country assembled for topâ€"notch compeâ€" tition. Some of the big names from the Ontario team at those lames were also at Cameron last weekend, names like Dean Mellway. a star local athlete with Twin City Spinners. and Brian Halliday and Chris Stoddart of Toronto Lightninâ€" gs I marvelled at them then, just as I do now. for their intenâ€" se desire to banish the stigma associated with their soâ€" called disability. It would be pretentious to claim that they live the exact lives of ableâ€"bodied humans. but to paraphrase a recent series of television commercials, the disableds® greatest handicap is the way the rest of us perâ€" ceive them and treat them The world continues to build new theatres and stadiums with steep staircases. and washrooms with narrow doors. but it was refreshing Monday to view the physically hanâ€" dicapped through the innocence of youth Better known as Sandy. Julie. Nikki and Michael Before the championship game of the Oktoberfest tourâ€" nament between Toronto Spitfires. their dads‘ club. and the New Haven. Conn. Spokebenders, these four youngsters went to centre court, stood in front of the entire Spokeâ€" bender lineup. and gave a cheer of welcome for the visitors 'filhl(‘h ended with a sportsmanlike ‘may the best team And throughout the game. the kids stood on the sidelines. cheering every play, waving their pomâ€"poms and belting out some rehearsed and some notâ€"soâ€"rehearsed jingles But it wasn‘t the cheers that motivated me to go chat with them . it was the smiles of sheer delight on their faces You think pictures tell a thousand words? "Yes. we‘re all from Toronto," said Michael politely ‘‘~Nikki‘s my sister but I‘m a year younger . Our dad plays on the Spitfires and so does our uncle _ Smiles. Smiles of pride We cheer at all the games. some cheers we practice before. some we don‘t," said Nikki. sideâ€"stepping a player fAying by with the ball only a few feet away e 9t on o g e ig Z2 o A h alnas o i db t ces 2 ~Â¥eh. our Mom makes up a lot of cheers for us and helps us out." said Michael Oh. that‘s nice. What‘s your Mom‘s name? Pause., Rick Campbell ‘Um, oh yeh, Ann Marie Wilson. like she s our second Mom. She makes up the words for the cheers." Same smiles. All around. Then a Julie Gardner giggle. ‘‘Are we going to be in the newspaper. Really? Well, I said, I hope so. Zoom, gone like a flash. up the stairs to the balcony to tell someone the good news. I thanked the kids, told them to get cheering since their team was behind a few points. and left the gym to go cover the next Oktoberfest event on my agenda. But not before taking one last long look at them on the sidelines. Here it was the long weekend, the last major holiday until Christmas. and while thousands upon thousands of youngâ€" sters were out playing tag or touch football, and while thouâ€" sands upon thousands of adults were home with their famiâ€" lies, helg-mgs‘e}dur were spending their precious free time indoors making people happy. Servirg the Twi 171 King Water|! p ie Wilson. like she‘s our second L tried to put myself in their position, watching my Dad ords for the cheers." play wheelchair basketball while Mom was home sick. And . Then a Julie Gardner giggle. actually enjoying taking an active part in the game. he newspaper. Really?~ I couldn‘t do it. Or could I? Could yoy? up the stairs to the balcony to tell As I got to the parking lot, and loaded my camera into my trunk. I wondered what has made those four kids so happy them to get cheering since their _ and understanding well beyond their years. n € RAI ME 4 "ities Lout Ario Sime e 19 Wateriao Chronicidé, Wednesday, October 10, 1979 â€" Page 19 Still wondering. I got into my car and continued to ponder one of life‘s greatest mysteries. But not for Tong. It was Monday. Thanksgiving. And suddenly I had this overwheiming urge to give thanks. For a lot of things. 96 King St S. Acress from Wateriee REPRINTS FROM COLOUR NEGS On Most Colour Print Film IN BY 10â€"OUT BY 5 8B6â€" 1320 12 EXP BENT‘S CAMERAS 3.95 | 5.95 FILM SERVICE PRINTS FROM SLIDES 20 EXP 886â€"5520