In “striding to turn the tide”, one retirement home’s residents are joining with their community to provide a lifeline for grandmothers in Africa.
Now in its fourth year, the Stride to Turn the Tide Halton walk is organized by the Burlington Grandmothers to Grandmothers Ubuntu group, which works through the Stephen Lewis Foundation to provide assistance to grandmothers in Africa who are raising children orphaned by AIDS. Taking place June 8, the event is a walkathon open to all members of the community.
For a second time, the walk is starting and ending at Heritage Place, a retirement home in Burlington, ON. The decision to host the walk at Heritage Place came about through a random set of circumstances, said Nancy Chobrda, Manager of Recreation and Leisure Services at the home. “A member of the Ubuntu Halton grandmothers group played bridge with a group here at Heritage Place and thought it would be a great place for the event.” As Elizabeth Rennie, Co-Chair, Halton Walk Committee put it, “Heritage Place has been incredibly generous and welcoming…they think of things to help us before we do.”
Heritage Place has established its own team for the Walk, called the ‘Quick Steps’. Forty residents are participating, with thirty walking and ten using their scooters. Quick Stepper Linda has participated previously and is looking forward to putting on her walking shoes once again. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s not too long (of a walk) and it’s for a good cause.” Her teammate Anna adds, “It’s a chance to walk with your community and friends.” Both of them have recruited some of this year’s new participants.
For those new recruits and the experienced walkers, the most important motivation is the cause. As Ms. Chobrda said, “Residents say to me it’s a good cause. They are grandmothers and great-grandmothers and they connect through that.” The members of the Quick Steps are definitely not shy about ensuring they reach their fundraising goal – with a number of residents noting they have encouraged their children, friends and golf partners to donate.
Although most of the Quick Steps team members won’t traverse the entire walk length, they fully participate in the line-dancing warm up and the post-walk BBQ. Even those residents who are not participating in the Walk itself will have an opportunity to join in on the fun. It’s also a family affair and a chance to different generations to come together, including one 103 year old participant who will be joined by three generations.
The partnership between Grandmothers to Grandmothers and Heritage Place is just one example of how a retirement home is integrated with the community and world around it. As Ms. Chobdra puts it, you should always look for the “opportunity to get involved in the community in any way possible and never think you are just one person or you can’t do it.” Indeed, as the Quick Steps show, living in a retirement home doesn’t stop you from contributing to the community here and around the world.
You can learn more about the Quick Steps team and the Stride to Turn the Tide walk here.