The Outhouse Races drew a brave crowd on the cold morning of Sept. 29, raising a record-breaking $26,000 for the fully inclusive and accessible playground at Centennial Park (the red park) in the East End of town. Some two dozen competitors took to Main Street to battle the brashest, boldest, fastest and funniest toilets on wheels. Local celebrities, officials, businesses and residents took to the streets to duke it out in the name of fun in a day that was not short on laughs. Event organizer Karrie Peace switched gears this year, tipping her hat and passing the plunger to Donna Koper – Outhouse Races founder and original owner of Peace's store, the Heavenly Outhouse. Beaming from ear-to-ear and dressed in striking crimson red wintry attire, Koper proudly kicked off the 18th annual event as the latrines made their way to the start line. "I just kept thinking – I can't believe this," said Koper, marveling over Peace's leadership and the growth of the event. "I never stopped smiling ... never in my wildest dreams did I think this would keep going." It was one to remember for Koper and if she has her say, it won't be her last. After all, she has already defied her medical prognosis and is thus far beating the odds of the cancer diagnosis handed to her only 10 months ago. "The diagnosis was not good, but I'm fooling them all," Koper said laughing, crediting her "powerful toxic soup" (chemotherapy) she finished a few months ago as "successful so far." Koper shares her journey with cancer from the comfort of her county home northeast of Cochrane, in an utopian setting enshrouded by trees she had planted when she and husband, Larry, took ownership of the property some 13 years ago. With the ability to exude genuine warmth, yet command, in any room she steps into, Koper is a mover and shaker who candidly shares her story of a life filled with volunteerism, family and friendship. Many of her stories have culminated in the very room in which she sits, gesturing to the walls that have held more dinner parties than she can count or pointing to the Koper Kabin that has housed guest after guest. She relishes time spent with her family – her two sons, twin daughters and four grandchildren, as well as her twin brother, Don, and his family and her other siblings and extended family. She is hopeful that her recent trip to Kelowna to visit her brother will not be her last. She laughs about 75 years well spent, with her many projects, endeavours and accomplishments depicted across her office walls – from her volunteerism in the 1988 Olympics and photo with Eddie the Eagle, adventures with Girl Guides and the Scouts, to accolades such as her 2000 plaque for Cochrane Ambassador of the Year, Retailer of the Year in 2000 by the Canadian Retailers Association and Best Western Store Display in 2001 from the Chamber of Commerce. Her face also graced the cover of the Canadian Retailer Magazine in 2003 as the cover feature on the Heavenly Outhouse. A former board member for Cochrane and Area Victim Services, the Cochrane area resident of 26 years is also proud to have been an active member of the Revitalization Committee of Historic Downtown – the advocacy group largely responsible for the push to bring beauty and western heritage back to Cochrane's core in the early 2000s, including Centennial Plaza, the streetlights, fencing and other building aesthetics. She credits her tenacity to her hard-working mother, who raised her children with the motto: "if you're going to do something you do it right." It was this very attitude and willingness to roll up her sleeves that prompted Koper to open the Heavenly Outhouse in 1995 and launch the signatory Outhouse Races event in 2000. Koper sold the store in 2003 to Brenda Poffenroth and Valerie Vassie. Peace bought the business 10 years ago and opened adjacent store, Poor David's, in 2009. All owners have continued and built upon the lavatory tradition. For Peace, sharing the plunger with Koper this year was an emotional one. "She told me how happy she was that I had continued the tradition of the races ... I told her how lucky I was that she had such a big dream and loves Cochrane so much. Her dream became my dream," said Peace. "Having her there, laughing and shivering beside me, hugging me, was one of the greatest gifts of my whole Heavenly adventure." Early race years saw outhouse expert celebrities including Bob Ross from Bozeman, Montana, Dottie Booth from Pennsylvania, Nancy Miller of Calgary and Sherman Hines of Nova Scotia. A Vancouver film crew, Yaletown Entertainment, even attended in 2001 to film the races for their "Weird Wheels Off To The Races" segment that aired across Canada in 2002. Dan Kroffat, retired professional wrestler and celebrity philanthropist who emceed the event with retired Calgary Stampeders running back Jon Cornish, said he looks forward to pushing the potty event to an even bigger level next year – hinting that there's more details yet to be announced. "I want to express my gratitude to all who made this initiative so successful and say that we hope to have a big surprise for everyone with regards to next year's Outhouse Races," said Kroffat. "Our hopes are to put Cochrane on the world map and we think our plan will do just that." Koper marvels at the growth in the event and how it has given back to the community, sharing film prints of early days dressed up as angels or yellow-feathered chickens driving the "Hen House." "It's been an interesting life ... so I decided to write a book," she said, holding up her printed and bound copy of her family tree book The Journey, detailing the family history on her paternal side. "I never knew much about him ... we just accepted it," said Koper of the father she never knew, as he left her mother with eight young children three days after she and her twin were born. Koper devoted 30 years of research into the chronicles of her paternal lineage – which hails from Estonia, hunkering down over the final 18 months to get the edition ready for first printing in 2017. When she reflects on it all, Koper is quick to brush off any fear of dying – only care and concern for the devoted family and friends left behind. In the meantime, Koper is taking measures to make sure this Christmas season is one for the books, with all her friends and family coming out to share the holiday spirit.
