Angel Who Cares
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Victoria Stafford's dad nears end of cross-country ride
Father of slain Ont. girl cycling across Canada to raise awareness of child safety
Friday, September 18, 2009 | 9:21 PM ET
<snipped>
Rodney Stafford is expected to officially end his 3,500-kilometre journey Saturday when he cycles into West Edmonton Mall.
Victoria Stafford, 8, went missing in April near her school in Woodstock, Ont. Her remains were found in July in an isolated wooded area in the small farming community of Mount Forest, about 95 kilometres north of Woodstock.
Two Woodstock residents, Michael Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic, have been charged with her abduction and murder.
On Friday, Woodstock Mayor Michael Harding relayed a message to Stafford by way of CBC.
"Rodney, this is Mayor Michael Harding, and I am bloody proud of what you've done," he said, directing his comments to Stafford.
"To choose a cause of Child Find and [to make] sure that we care for our kids and find them — I mean that's a very good cause. So, I think any community would be very, very proud of Rodney at this point."
Stafford began his trip on Aug. 5 in Woodstock and was in Vegreville, Alta., Friday, with another 100 kilometres to go to reach Edmonton.
"I think it's great that he's taken such a negative, tragic situation in his life and the community's life and [is] making something positive about it," said Woodstock resident Kevin Proctor.
Article:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/09/18/stafford-bike-ride523.html
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Father of slain Ontario girl Victoria Stafford cycles into Edmonton
Sep 19, 2009
<snipped>
Tired, relieved and a little elated, Rodney Stafford peddled into Edmonton Saturday, completing his 3,400 kilometre cycling journey in memory of his slain daughter Victoria.
His gruelling 45-day bicycle trip, where he averaged about 70 kilometres per day, has raised awareness about child abduction and helped him deal with some of the pain of his loss.
"It has put a lot of relief into me," said Stafford, his face burned from the prairie wind and sun, his eyes glassy with fatigue.
"I keep remembering all the good times with Victoria. It is like I am filling a void."
During the long hours and days of peddling on the road his spirits were buoyed by the well wishes of people along the way who beeped their horns in support. At night he gained some strength by reading messages posted on an Internet site that was set up to help promote the trip and raise money for the organization Child Find.
"Way to go Rodney... you are a true hero...you are a great father," posted someone from Ingersoll, Ont.
"Wooooohoooooooo Rodney, Your journey was an accomplishment that you are to be proud of.. You make Canadians proud. You are an inspiration to all of us. Hoping you can find some peace and comfort now that you have done what you set out to do," says another post.
But Stafford said what really propelled him along hour after hour, kilometre after kilometre, were memories of his daughter.
While still in Ontario he made it a point to visit a park where he and Tori saw two bears a few years ago. Viewing the bruins thrilled his daughter at the time. Stafford said he couldn't believe it when he saw two bears near the same spot outside of North Bay.
"There were two bears sitting their eating and there was a star in the sky right above me," he said. "Tori has been with me on this ride."
Next year, the man and woman charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder in connection with Tori's death could go on trial. He plans to be in the courtroom every day.
Michael Rafferty, 28, and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 19, are in custody in Ontario as they await the legal process to deal with the allegations against them.
Rafferty's lawyer said in August that his client will plead not guilty. He predicted that a preliminary hearing would not be held until next year and if the case is committed to trial, that might not occur until 2011. McClintic's attorney has not indicated how her client will plead.
"This (the cycling journey) is a little bit of closure, but we still have the trial coming up," Stafford said. "As painful as it is going to be I need to be there. I need to find out what happened to my baby."
Article:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jvZPgq5HOsVLpNafqlB1_4vqgfUA
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Closure at the finish line
Slain girl's dad amazed at support he encountered during fundraising trek
Last Updated: 20th September 2009, 1:15am
<snipped>
"I feel really good, I do, compared to the day I set out skeptical of what I was doing, wondering if it was worth it," he said after he finished his 3,453-km bike ride from Woodstock, Ont., to Edmonton yesterday. "I strongly believe that no matter what happens after today, word will spread."
He set out 45 days ago to escape his hometown, a scene rich with memories of his eight-year-old daughter Tori, but also loaded with the horror of her abduction and death earlier this year.
During the ride, "my biggest thought was of Victoria (Tori) this spring," he said, when members of his extended family walked along the beach in Woodstock, skipping stones. "I had a few good chuckles. Everyone else was picking up nice flat stones and skipping them. But Victoria picked up big, fat ones and chucked them. She couldn't quite get the hang of it. But then one, she skipped eight or nine times.
"It was a free time, a happy moment. We had so many."
But after Tori's death, he found his faith in people shaken, and even his career plans changed. He ditched plans to become a corrections officer, he said, because he didn't want to deal with criminals since becoming a victim.
"People would just stop and offer dinner and a place to stay. There's been amazing support from the beginning," he said. It convinced him good people in the world, "far outnumber the bad people."
More so, people lined up, including at West Edmonton Mall yesterday for the last ChildFind event of his trip, to share their feelings, sad and supportive, about the case.
"They're just coming up and saying thank you. In time, this (attention) will fade, I'm sure, and I'll just remember I did something significant," said Stafford.
Article:
http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/alberta/2009/09/20/11004666-sun.html
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Single balloon for Tori
Last Updated: 21st September 2009, 3:32am
<snipped>
After so much campaigning, it was a "personal day," said Rodney Stafford after releasing a balloon from a mountain in his daughter's honour.
He ended a 45-day tribute fundraising bicycle ride in Edmonton Saturday, then rode in a car with family to Jasper National Park yesterday. The family took a gondola to the top of Whistler Mountain, where Stafford released a single purple balloon in honour of Tori Stafford.
The eight-year-old was abducted and slain in Woodstock, Ont. She disappeared April 8.
Article:
http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/2009/09/21/11025416-sun.html
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Stafford Returns Home
Tue, 22 Sep 2009 8:41:46 EDT
<snipped>
Home sweet home, later this afternoon Rodney Stafford is scheduled to touch down at London International Airport. Stafford, the father of 8-year-old Tori Stafford who was murdered, is slated to arrive in London before returning to his home in Woodstock. Back in August he left on his 3500 kilometer bike ride from Woodstock to Edmonton raising awareness and donations for Child Find Ontario. One of the two suspects charged in connection with Tori's murder, Michael Rafferty, is due to appear in court Friday.
Article:
http://www.myfmradio.ca/1057/wire/news/01122_Stafford_Returns_Home_083324.php
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Homecoming for Rodney Stafford
Tue, 2009-09-22 15:00.
<snipped>
An emotional reunion at the London International Airport this afternoon.
The father of Victoria Stafford came back to Ontario.....after a 34 hundred kilometre fundraising bike ride to Alberta.
Rodney Stafford was greeted by his son, Daryn and his mother as he stepped onto the tarmac.
He has spent the last 40 days cycling from Woodstock to Edmonton to raise funds for ChildFind Ontario.
Throughout his journey, Stafford raised over 22 thousand dollars for the organization and says they are still counting the money raised from his final stop in Edmonton.
Stafford says plans are already in the works to possibly make the trek again next year this time taking his son with him for the ride.
Michael Rafferty, one of the two suspects charged in Victoria's murder, is scheduled to appear in a Woodstock court via video link this Friday.
Article:
http://www.cjbk.com/news/565/996555
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rodney Stafford arrives in London, Ont., after wrapping up 3,400 km cycling trip
22/09/2009 6:40 PM
<snipped>
Rodney Stafford, the father of slain eight-year-old Victoria Stafford, arrived back in southwestern Ontario Tuesday afternoon after completing a 45-day cycling marathon in honour of his daughter.
His son, Daryn Stafford, said he couldn't wait to hang out with his father again and was really proud of him.
Woodstock residents Terri-Lynne McClintic and Michael Rafferty have been charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder in Tori's death.
Rafferty is scheduled to appear in court on Friday while McClintic is set to appear in court Oct. 1.
Their trials are not expected to begin until sometime next year.
Article:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ca...apping-up-3_400-km-cycling-trip-60436742.html
Father of slain Ont. girl cycling across Canada to raise awareness of child safety
Friday, September 18, 2009 | 9:21 PM ET
<snipped>
Rodney Stafford is expected to officially end his 3,500-kilometre journey Saturday when he cycles into West Edmonton Mall.
Victoria Stafford, 8, went missing in April near her school in Woodstock, Ont. Her remains were found in July in an isolated wooded area in the small farming community of Mount Forest, about 95 kilometres north of Woodstock.
Two Woodstock residents, Michael Rafferty and Terri-Lynne McClintic, have been charged with her abduction and murder.
On Friday, Woodstock Mayor Michael Harding relayed a message to Stafford by way of CBC.
"Rodney, this is Mayor Michael Harding, and I am bloody proud of what you've done," he said, directing his comments to Stafford.
"To choose a cause of Child Find and [to make] sure that we care for our kids and find them — I mean that's a very good cause. So, I think any community would be very, very proud of Rodney at this point."
Stafford began his trip on Aug. 5 in Woodstock and was in Vegreville, Alta., Friday, with another 100 kilometres to go to reach Edmonton.
"I think it's great that he's taken such a negative, tragic situation in his life and the community's life and [is] making something positive about it," said Woodstock resident Kevin Proctor.
Article:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/09/18/stafford-bike-ride523.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Father of slain Ontario girl Victoria Stafford cycles into Edmonton
Sep 19, 2009
<snipped>
Tired, relieved and a little elated, Rodney Stafford peddled into Edmonton Saturday, completing his 3,400 kilometre cycling journey in memory of his slain daughter Victoria.
His gruelling 45-day bicycle trip, where he averaged about 70 kilometres per day, has raised awareness about child abduction and helped him deal with some of the pain of his loss.
"It has put a lot of relief into me," said Stafford, his face burned from the prairie wind and sun, his eyes glassy with fatigue.
"I keep remembering all the good times with Victoria. It is like I am filling a void."
During the long hours and days of peddling on the road his spirits were buoyed by the well wishes of people along the way who beeped their horns in support. At night he gained some strength by reading messages posted on an Internet site that was set up to help promote the trip and raise money for the organization Child Find.
"Way to go Rodney... you are a true hero...you are a great father," posted someone from Ingersoll, Ont.
"Wooooohoooooooo Rodney, Your journey was an accomplishment that you are to be proud of.. You make Canadians proud. You are an inspiration to all of us. Hoping you can find some peace and comfort now that you have done what you set out to do," says another post.
But Stafford said what really propelled him along hour after hour, kilometre after kilometre, were memories of his daughter.
While still in Ontario he made it a point to visit a park where he and Tori saw two bears a few years ago. Viewing the bruins thrilled his daughter at the time. Stafford said he couldn't believe it when he saw two bears near the same spot outside of North Bay.
"There were two bears sitting their eating and there was a star in the sky right above me," he said. "Tori has been with me on this ride."
Next year, the man and woman charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder in connection with Tori's death could go on trial. He plans to be in the courtroom every day.
Michael Rafferty, 28, and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 19, are in custody in Ontario as they await the legal process to deal with the allegations against them.
Rafferty's lawyer said in August that his client will plead not guilty. He predicted that a preliminary hearing would not be held until next year and if the case is committed to trial, that might not occur until 2011. McClintic's attorney has not indicated how her client will plead.
"This (the cycling journey) is a little bit of closure, but we still have the trial coming up," Stafford said. "As painful as it is going to be I need to be there. I need to find out what happened to my baby."
Article:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jvZPgq5HOsVLpNafqlB1_4vqgfUA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Closure at the finish line
Slain girl's dad amazed at support he encountered during fundraising trek
Last Updated: 20th September 2009, 1:15am
<snipped>
"I feel really good, I do, compared to the day I set out skeptical of what I was doing, wondering if it was worth it," he said after he finished his 3,453-km bike ride from Woodstock, Ont., to Edmonton yesterday. "I strongly believe that no matter what happens after today, word will spread."
He set out 45 days ago to escape his hometown, a scene rich with memories of his eight-year-old daughter Tori, but also loaded with the horror of her abduction and death earlier this year.
During the ride, "my biggest thought was of Victoria (Tori) this spring," he said, when members of his extended family walked along the beach in Woodstock, skipping stones. "I had a few good chuckles. Everyone else was picking up nice flat stones and skipping them. But Victoria picked up big, fat ones and chucked them. She couldn't quite get the hang of it. But then one, she skipped eight or nine times.
"It was a free time, a happy moment. We had so many."
But after Tori's death, he found his faith in people shaken, and even his career plans changed. He ditched plans to become a corrections officer, he said, because he didn't want to deal with criminals since becoming a victim.
"People would just stop and offer dinner and a place to stay. There's been amazing support from the beginning," he said. It convinced him good people in the world, "far outnumber the bad people."
More so, people lined up, including at West Edmonton Mall yesterday for the last ChildFind event of his trip, to share their feelings, sad and supportive, about the case.
"They're just coming up and saying thank you. In time, this (attention) will fade, I'm sure, and I'll just remember I did something significant," said Stafford.
Article:
http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/alberta/2009/09/20/11004666-sun.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Single balloon for Tori
Last Updated: 21st September 2009, 3:32am
<snipped>
After so much campaigning, it was a "personal day," said Rodney Stafford after releasing a balloon from a mountain in his daughter's honour.
He ended a 45-day tribute fundraising bicycle ride in Edmonton Saturday, then rode in a car with family to Jasper National Park yesterday. The family took a gondola to the top of Whistler Mountain, where Stafford released a single purple balloon in honour of Tori Stafford.
The eight-year-old was abducted and slain in Woodstock, Ont. She disappeared April 8.
Article:
http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/2009/09/21/11025416-sun.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stafford Returns Home
Tue, 22 Sep 2009 8:41:46 EDT
<snipped>
Home sweet home, later this afternoon Rodney Stafford is scheduled to touch down at London International Airport. Stafford, the father of 8-year-old Tori Stafford who was murdered, is slated to arrive in London before returning to his home in Woodstock. Back in August he left on his 3500 kilometer bike ride from Woodstock to Edmonton raising awareness and donations for Child Find Ontario. One of the two suspects charged in connection with Tori's murder, Michael Rafferty, is due to appear in court Friday.
Article:
http://www.myfmradio.ca/1057/wire/news/01122_Stafford_Returns_Home_083324.php
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Homecoming for Rodney Stafford
Tue, 2009-09-22 15:00.
<snipped>
An emotional reunion at the London International Airport this afternoon.
The father of Victoria Stafford came back to Ontario.....after a 34 hundred kilometre fundraising bike ride to Alberta.
Rodney Stafford was greeted by his son, Daryn and his mother as he stepped onto the tarmac.
He has spent the last 40 days cycling from Woodstock to Edmonton to raise funds for ChildFind Ontario.
Throughout his journey, Stafford raised over 22 thousand dollars for the organization and says they are still counting the money raised from his final stop in Edmonton.
Stafford says plans are already in the works to possibly make the trek again next year this time taking his son with him for the ride.
Michael Rafferty, one of the two suspects charged in Victoria's murder, is scheduled to appear in a Woodstock court via video link this Friday.
Article:
http://www.cjbk.com/news/565/996555
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rodney Stafford arrives in London, Ont., after wrapping up 3,400 km cycling trip
22/09/2009 6:40 PM
<snipped>
Rodney Stafford, the father of slain eight-year-old Victoria Stafford, arrived back in southwestern Ontario Tuesday afternoon after completing a 45-day cycling marathon in honour of his daughter.
His son, Daryn Stafford, said he couldn't wait to hang out with his father again and was really proud of him.
Woodstock residents Terri-Lynne McClintic and Michael Rafferty have been charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder in Tori's death.
Rafferty is scheduled to appear in court on Friday while McClintic is set to appear in court Oct. 1.
Their trials are not expected to begin until sometime next year.
Article:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ca...apping-up-3_400-km-cycling-trip-60436742.html