A civic reception for
paralympic gold medallist Adam Hall will go ahead next
Friday, despite the death of his mother, Gayle.
Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin said a family spokesman had
contacted him and said the family was keen to go ahead with
the reception.
Hall, who was born with spina bifida, won a gold medal in the
men's standing slalom at the Winter Paralympics in Canada
last month, and received a hero's welcome on his return.
That joy turned to sorrow on Wednesday, when Mrs Hall died in
a car crash 400m from her home.
Mr Chin had said the event would be postponed until family
members decided how they wanted to deal with the situation.
However, "the family has asked that it be held at the time it
was going to be held".
Invitations for the invitation-only event had been sent, and
while details had not been decided, he expected it would be
different from that first envisaged.
Mrs Hall's funeral will be held at Campbell and Sons chapel
in Mosgiel on Tuesday at 1.30pm.
- david.loughrey@odt.co.nz
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