I hope you can join me in publically wishing "Dave Heard" of Burlington, a Happy 72nd Birthday!

Each Saturday, Dave, along with a number of other enthusiastic runners from our dedicated running group, join together to run various mileages, depending on what races we are training for, through the streets of Aldershot and Waterdown. We start at Lasalle Park, run along Northshore, run up garbage dump hill, through the valley, along Snake Road back down Waterdown Rd. to the park.

On this particular Saturday (July 26) each year, we run together to celebrate Dave Heard's birthday.

Those who know Dave know that he's an "old school" runner who began his career before water bottles and strap-on waist belts and packs. He runs every long run without water, either borrowing some from a compassionate buddy, or replenishing at the nearest watering hole.

The 16-mile route of choice that Dave runs each year on his birthday is devoid of a watering stop. So someone usually goes ahead and drops off some water bottles. In fact...this is such a common route among runners and cyclists, we often see pseudo-water stations along the way.

This is where I came in. I was unable to set out with the boys last Saturday, so I decided to leave a water station for them en route. So, I filled our family's big green canvas zip-up cooler with ice packs and water bottles, placed it at the corner of Snake Road and Old York Road and adorned it with a big, huge birthday greeting, that really no one could miss.

And they didn't.

Someone came along at some point between the time I dropped off the water cooler at 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. when the runners ran by. They took the cooler, the card, the ice packs and water bottles (not to mention an old Swiss Army knife given to my husband by his late father, which he'd hidden in a bottom zippered pocket to be used by my family when we're out camping and setting up campfires).

After speaking with the runners, who said they had not seen the water station, and having gone back to the corner to search high and low, I was greatly disappointment when I figured out what had happened.

I sure hope the water thief enjoyed Dave's birthday refreshments as much as I know he would have. Perhaps you can now join me in publically wishing him a Happy 72nd Birthday!

Way to go, Dave. All that again, without water!

What a shame!

Pamela Blair, Dundas