The parking lot of Western Speedway was filled with bottles and cans on Saturday in support of a former racer suffering from a spinal cord injury.
Meghan Mrozinski suffered a broken back and an incomplete spinal cord injury after being thrown from her horse last month.
The 27-year-old has raced at the Langford oval since she was a teenager in a variety of different classes.
When word got out about the incident, the racing community immediately sprung into action.
“We put it on social media and everybody asked to come and help out, sort things out cause they knew it was going to be a big job,” says B.J. Veld, one of the bottle drive organizers. Veld is also a former racer at the speedway and a family friend.
Throughout the day and in the weeks leading up the event the empties rolled in from all around greater Victoria. There were race car trailers and bin trucks filled to the brim, all in support of Mrozinski.
“We’ve had so many people come by today, but we’ve also been doing a lot of collection throughout the past week and a half. We’re slowly working through that as well as collecting more donations as people drop by,” says co-organizer Shae Mellors.
A GoFundMe page already has over $25,000 in donations, and the bottle drive will help even more to lessen the financial blow.
“We’re hoping that this really puts a big dent in their family finances and helps out,” says Mellors.
All funds raised will go towards Mrozinski’s recovery fund, including travel back and forth from rehab in Vancouver as well as daycare costs for her two-year-old son Hudson.
While Mrozinski still has a long road to walking once again, she’s taking everything in stride.
“She’s keeping in good spirits for sure and working through any challenge that she can just to get back in that car. So we’re excited for her,” says Mellors.
To donate to Mrozinski and her family, visit their GoFundMe page.
Cole Sorenson
