Steinbach teen remembered with ice race

STEINBACH – Family and friends in Steinbach gathered at the inaugural Jonah Crookes Memorial Ice Race on Saturday.

“Today is a very, very, hard day and it’s also and very, very, good day,” said Jonah’s father, Adam Crookes.

The 16-year-old died after a snowmobile crash near Marchand, Manitoba in December when he lost control on a curve and hit several trees.

More than one hundred community members rallied for a 12-hour-relay dirt bike rice race in honour of Jonah.

“Jonah was into endurance riding and so we figured this would be a good way to honour him, let’s go for 12 straight hours,” said family friend Tim Giesbrecht, who offered his family’s land for the event.

While Jonah’s true winter passion was snowmobiling, ice biking was an easier event for the family to partake in.

“Quite frankly, Jonah didn’t do a ton on the ice so it’s maybe a little bit easier for us to be involved in something like this where you don’t have all of those memories that are going to affect you a little more,” said Crookes.

Proceeds from the event are going towards sending children to summer camp.

“We go to an awesome church and they have a really good camp program and so that would be very, very, special to him,” said Crookes.

Adam Crookes has been a volunteer firefighter with the Steinbach department for 16 years and members of the department was there to volunteer their services throughout the day.

“This is awesome and if this turns into an annual thing, I think it would grow and become a great winter event,” said Steinbach fire captain Russ Reimer.

Racers at the memorial race are hoping to clock 3,000 laps on the one mile track by the end of the day and once night falls a fireworks display will light up the sky.