MOUNT FOREST — A local teen is hopeful his love for cooking will help fuel fundraising efforts for a new mobility vehicle.
Wellington Heights Secondary School student and 15-year-old Mount Forest resident John Ray said he and his mom, Trina Reid-Weber, always wanted to create a cookbook- they just didn't know where to start.
So when the family's 10-year-old mobility van started breaking down more frequently, Ray, who has congenital muscular dystrophy and requires an electric wheelchair to move around, said they decided to bite the bullet and create his cookbook, Big John's Farm Fresh Recipes, to help fundraise for a replacement vehicle.
A new mobility van will cost the family approximately $100,000.
"It's just getting to the point where we're a little worried if it's going to keep running for very long," said Ray, who estimates there are approximately 200,000 kilometres on the van from travelling to his different doctor's appointments over the last decade.
"Instead of spending more money on fixing it, it makes more sense to buy a new one."
Starting with basics like bacon with his mom when he was seven or eight years old before branching out, Ray said he's always loved cooking but now that he's in high school, he's had more opportunities to explore his passion.
"I'm all about food. Food is like my favourite thing," said Ray, who prefers cooking Mexican or Italian cuisine.
With 35 recipes mainly created by Ray with Trina's help, Ray said his cookbook's focus is healthy eating and the majority of his recipes feature at least one ingredient you can find at a farmer's market.
While Ray says all the book's recipes are worth trying, his favourites are his potato soup recipe, which features bacon and celery, or his mom's enchiladas.
The book also has several guest appearances from well-known Mount Forest residents like Joe Wettlaufer and Chris Holden from The River radio station, who included recipes for veggie stew and spaghetti, and MP John Nater, who provided a recipe for granola protein balls.
"My dad and I sell vegetables and meat at our local farmer's market so we tried to do recipes based around healthy things like vegetables and local stuff you can get," said Ray.
So far, Ray said they've sold 125 of 250 copies and are aiming for a fundraising goal of $5,000-6,000, which will go towards the van and further fundraising efforts like a birthday chili dinner in May. Each book costs $25.
Once they're sold out, Ray said they might do a second batch and are looking into creating a cookbook sequel, although he warned it might take time to gather some new recipes.
Big John's Farm Fresh Recipes can be purchased in person at Hybrid Hair and Detox Spa or by messaging Trina Reid-Weber on Facebook. Cookbooks will also be available at Ray's farmer's market booth in the spring.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
