Page
      11.
      March
      4,
      2009
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SPORTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Students
      participate
      in
      world’s
      largest
      yoga
      fundraiser
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      Economic
      burden
      of
      arthritis
      in
      Canada
      is
      estimated
      at
      $4.4
      billion
      annually
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Michael
      Briones
      -
     
     
      The
      Navigator
      (Malaspina
     
     
      University-College)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NANAIMO
      (CUP)
      —
      Stu-—
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dents
      across
      Canada
      got
      all
     
     
      bent
      out
      of
      shape
      to
      raise
     
     
      money
      for
      arthritis
      research.
     
    

    
     
      Vancouver
      Island
      Univer-
     
     
      sity
      is
      one
      school
      that
      took
     
     
      part
      in
      this
      year’s
      Power
      of
     
     
      Movement
      —
      the
      biggest
      yoga
     
     
      fundraiser
      in
      the
      world.
     
    

    
     
      The
      VIU
      Students’
      Union,
     
     
      along
      with
      the
      campus’
      rec-
     
     
      reation
      department
      and
      a
      lo-
     
     
      cal
      yoga
      club,
      encouraged
     
     
      students
      to
      come
      out
      to
      join
     
     
      thousands
      of
      Canadians
     
     
      on
      Feb.
      22
      in
      a
      large-scale
     
     
      yoga
      mega-session
      that
      took
     
     
      -
      place
      in
      10
      cities
      coast-to-
     
     
      coast
      —
      Vancouver,
      Victoria,
     
     
      Nanaimo,
      Calgary,
      Regina,
     
     
      Winnipeg,
      Toronto,
      Ottawa,
     
     
      Montreal,
      and
      Halifax.
     
    

    
     
      The
      event,
      which
      is
      being
     
     
      held
      nationally
      for
      the
      first
     
     
      time,
      aims
      to
      raise
      money
      for
     
     
      critical
      arthritis
      research.
     
    

    
     
      Arthritis
      is
      one
      of
      the
      lead-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      causes
      of
      disability.
      Ac-
     
     
      cording
      to
      the
      Arthritis
      So-
     
     
      ciety,
      more
      than
      4.5
      million
     
     
      Canadians
      live
      with
      arthritis
     
     
      and
      autoimmune
      diseases.
     
    

    
     
      The
      economic
      burden
      of
      ar-
     
     
      thritis
      in
      Canada
      is
      estimat-
     
     
      ed
      at
      $4.4
      billion
      annually.
     
     
      These
      conditions
      account
     
     
      for
      over
      10
      percent
      of
      the
      to-
     
     
      tal
      burden
      of
      all
      illnesses
      in
     
     
      Canada,
      yet
      only
      1.3
      percent
     
     
      of
      attributed
      health
      science
     
     
      research
      is
      dedicated
      to
      this
     
     
      area.
     
    

    
     
      Power
      of
      Movement
      is
      in
     
     
      its
      third
      year.
      It
      started
      as
      a
     
     
      small
      grassroots
      initiative
     
     
      with
      250
      participants
      in
      To-
     
     
      ronto.
      Its
      initial
      goal
      was
      to
     
     
      raise
      $10,000,
      but
      it
      has
      ex-
     
     
      ceeded
      all
      expectations
      in
     
     
      the
      last
      two
      years,
      raising
     
     
      over
      $115,000.
     
    

    
     
      Money
      raised
      in
      2009
      will
     
     
      benefit
      arthritis
      and
      autoim-
     
     
      mune
      disease
      research
      prior-
     
     
      ities
      across
      Canada
      through
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      Arthritis
      and
      Autoimmu-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nity
      Research
      Centre
      Foun-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      dation
      and
      several
      chapters
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      the
      Arthritis
      Society.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “We
      are
      thrilled
      by
      the
     
     
      amount
      of
      support
      Power
     
     
      of
      Movement
      has
      received
     
     
      from
      Canadians
      across
      the
     
     
      country
      and
      hope
      to
      elevate
     
     
      the
      cause
      to
      the
      highest
      pos-
     
     
      sible
      level
      with
      our
      first
     
     
      national
      fundraiser,’
      said
     
     
      Power
      of
      Movement
      found-
     
     
      er
      Erin
      Moraghan,
      who
      is
      a
     
     
      yoga
      instructor
      and
      a
      senior
     
     
      development
      officer
      at
      the
     
     
      AARC
      Foundation.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      event
      is
      a
      fun
      and
     
     
      easy
      way
      to
      stay
      mobile
      and
     
     
      healthy
      —
      anyone
      can
      partici-
     
     
      pate
      to
      support
      life-changing
     
     
      research
      for
      arthritis
      and
      dis-
     
     
      eases
      like
      lupus,
      vasculitis,
     
     
      and
      osteoporosis.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you
      are
      unable
      to
      attend
      a
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mega-session
      or
      a
      yoga
      class
     
     
      at
      a
      participating
      studio
      on
     
     
      Feb.
      22,
      Power
      of
      Movement
     
     
      is
      also
      offering
      registrants
     
     
      the
      option
      of
      participating
      at
     
     
      home.
     
    

    
     
      To-do
      this,
      you
      can
      down-
     
     
      load
      a
      free
      instructional
      yoga
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘
      y"
     
     
      Last
      year’s
      Power
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      Movement
      mega-session
      was
      well
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      video
      provided
      by
      My
      Yoga
      attended.
      This
      year,
      VIU
      will
      be
      one
      of
      the
      venues
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Online,
      and
      there
      are
      mul-
     
     
      tiple
      videos
      to
      choose.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      national
      event.
      CUP
      photo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lady
      Panthers
      fighting
      for
      every
      win
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Kate
      VanGerven
     
     
      Panther
      Post
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Women’s
      hockey
      AUS
     
     
      Championship
      will
      be
      in
      full
     
     
      swing
      by
      the
      time
      you
      read
     
     
      this
      and
      let’s
      hope
      our
      Lady
     
     
      Panthers
      are
      still
      playing
      like
     
     
      they
      did
      at
      their
      last
      league
     
     
      home
      game
      Wednesday
      the
     
     
      25th.
      aN
      coe
     
    

    
     
      Their
      game
      against
      the
     
     
      Mount
      Allison
      Mounties
      pro-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      vided
      the
      win
      they
      needed
      in
     
     
      order
      to
      make
      the
      champion-
     
     
      ship
      fair
      and
      square.
     
    

    
     
      As
      the
      hosts,
      our
      Lady
      Pan-
     
     
      thers
      would
      have
      had
      a
      spot
     
     
      regardless
      but
      they
      weren’t
     
     
      willing
      to
      accept
      that.
      In-
     
     
      stead,
      they
      stepped
      on
      the
     
     
      ice
      Wednesday
      night
      with
     
     
      the
      intention
      of
      winning
      and
     
     
      stepped
      off
      the
      ice
      victori-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      ous.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      this
      win,
      the
      Panthers
     
     
      gain
      a
      deserved
      spot
      along-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      side
      five
      other
      Atlantic
      Uni-
     
     
      versities.
     
    

    
     
      UdeM
      is
      heading
      into
      the
     
     
      weekend
      in
      the
      first
      place
      po-
     
     
      sition
      with
      46
      points,
      closely
     
     
      followed
      by
      StFX
      with
      38
     
     
      points.
     
    

    
     
      St.
      Thomas
      University
      sits
     
     
      at
      third
      with
      31
      points
      and
     
     
      Dalhousie
      rounds
      out
      the
      top
     
     
      four
      with
      25
      points.
     
    

    
     
      Saint
      Mary’s,
      with
      16
      points
     
     
      and
      UPEI
      with
      12
      points
     
     
      complete
      the
      six
      team
      cham-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pionship.
     
    

    
     
      While
      UPEI
      is
      more
      than
     
     
      ten
      points
      behind
      four
      out
     
     
      of
      five
      teams
      they’ll
      have
      to
     
     
      play,
      there
      is
      still
      a
      chance
     
     
      they
      could
      come
      out
      on
      top.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Lady
      Panthers
      have
     
     
      won
      games
      against
      St.
     
     
      Thomas,
      Dalhousie
      and
      Saint
     
     
      Mary’s
      during
      their
      season
     
     
      which
      proves
      it
      can
      be
      done.
     
     
      While
      never
      beating
      Monc-
     
     
      ton
      or
      St.FX,
      our
      Lady
      Pan-
     
     
      thers
      have
      a
      track
      record
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      stepping
      up
      to
      the
      plate
      and
     
     
      playing
      strong
      games
      against
     
     
      both
      teams.
     
    

    
     
      While
      the
      Lady
      Panthers
     
     
      may
      already
      be
      out
      by
      the
     
     
      time
      you
      read
      this
      article,
     
     
      it’s
      also
      possible
      that
      they’re
     
     
      still
      in
      it
      and
      playing
      bet-
     
     
      ter
      than
      ever.
      Whatever
      the
     
     
      case,
      be
      sure
      to
      check
      out
      at
     
     
      least
      one
      of
      the
      games
      and
      if
     
     
      it’s
      UPEI
      playing
      make
      sure
     
     
      to
      show
      some
      Panther
      spirit
     
     
      for
      the
      girls.