I am part of the MDHS community group gathering support to "bring back our track". The support group has grown incredibly in a very short time and we’ve really only just started. We have an on-line petition being created, to go with a paper petition that has been circulating the community with hundreds of signatures to-date. This will be sent to the Board later in June registered mail. I’m sure you have seen several articles written in the Markham Economist & Sun and or watched Global TV news explaining our cause. You can also visit us on face book at MDHS Track http://www.facebook.com/pages/MDHS-Track/115664898510885 in addition to a you tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrQMXaszcr0. Sports have always been a large part of the culture at MDHS, and there has been significant success by their teams. The school has had a track since the beginning 1954, which is used by all teams, and it has always been an important part of the school. It would be a shame if this continued success were compromised because we lose such a valuable asset. Having a community track provides a place for people to be active and healthy. Everyone in the community utilizes the facility. Not all individuals are able to join organized sports but everyone can buy a pair of running shoes. It is also true that most of our successful athletes today, started their careers at high school on a track. Let’s keep that tradition alive and accessible to all students at their high school, our high school MDHS. There are 3 high schools in your territory with full tracks so we know you appreciate the value of a track to a school and the surrounding community, and in the spirit of equity, you would want the same for MDHS. There has been a precedence made in the past with two similar cases where local groups campaigned for a track to be installed at their high schools by their Boards. Those being; Leaside HS and Stouffville HS who both received funding from their respective Board, and in conjunction with Community support, were able to build their tracks. Please see www.leasidehighschool.com/newsletter/vol2num1.htm, www.yorkregion.com and http://www.yorkregion.com/community/whitchurch-stouffville We will be addressing the YRDS Board Standing Committee on June 6th. It is our goal to get the Board to reverse its’ 2007 decision and to work with the MDHS community to bring back our track, hopefully while the property is still under construction. We have a large support group from within the community who are willing, (and able), to raise the money in support of this endeavour. We'd like to know in advance that we could count on your support, so please let me know where you stand. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you in consideration and we hope we can count on your support.