ATHOL — Betty Soucie, 89, wife of the late Erwin “Sonny” Soucie, a founder and part of the first team to win the Athol to Orange River Rat Race, recently presented the Sonny Soucie-Art Forand Memorial Award trophy to 2019 winners John Berry of Petersham and Brent Lyesiuk of Orange. The trophy is given for the most canoes passed in the race. Berry and Lyesiuk started at the 189th position out of 218 racers and have won the trophy several times over the years. They also won first place this year for the new Local Team trophy given to residents of the nine North Quabbin towns.
Also in attendance for the presentation were Soucie’s son, Chris Soucie, daughter Cheryl Young, race safety team leader Tom Lozier, Soucie cousin and 2006 River Rat Race winner Dennis Carey, and race director Dave Flint. Chris Soucie, who paddled in the annual race for about 30 years, said his mother is still talking about the presentation. She also received a special visit from Paddles, the Rat Race mascot, earlier this month.