Parks and Recreation
News Release
Memorial walk; need to secure loads part of lineman rodeo safety message
Chelan County PUD
News Release
6/10/2009
Safety is a founding principle of the Andrew York Memorial Lineman Rodeo, and is the focus of two additions to this year’s activities.
The lineman rodeo is at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, in Wenatchee’s Walla Walla Point Park.
The Steps for Linemen Memorial Walk will offer a peaceful, 2-mile route along the Columbia River with markers honoring utility and construction members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) from Washington who died or suffered a severe injury on the job or an occupational disease since 1996.
There will be a guestbook for people to sign at the start of the route. There is no registration, but donations will be accepted for the Andrew York Memorial Scholarship Fund. The route will be marked from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. The guestbook will be available for signing from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The messages in the book will be shared with the families of the workers.
Also this year, Robin Abel, mother of Maria Federici, will be at one of the booths offering safety information at the rodeo. Federici was severely injured while driving in 2004 when a piece of furniture flew off a trailer in front of her and crashed through her windshield.
Abel is dedicated to teaching drivers about the need to secure loads safely, working through the Maria Federici Foundation and with the state Department of Ecology as part of its anti-litter campaign.
Raising awareness about safe driving practices and the dangers of impaired driving is the mission of the Andrew York Memorial Lineman Rodeo. It honors Chelan County PUD journeyman lineman Andrew York who died in 2000 from injuries suffered on the job when he was hit by a drunken driver.
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For more information about either event contact Brooke Thomsen, Chelan County PUD occupational health specialist, at (509) 661-4764, or brooke.thomsen@chelanpud.org.
Kimberlee Craig
Public Information Officer
661.4320, direct line
679.6958, cell
kimc@chelanpud.org