by admin
If you had told me back in 2007, the year Roots was just launching as a new urban farming not-for-profit, that one day I’d be putting my heart and soul into advocating for healthy aging, I would have assumed you’d had too much raspberry jam on your bagel. “We’re young punks growing food!” I’d have said.
But here we are, 18 years later, all grown up and fully embracing (and loving) the older punks who are now a fundamental part of our day-to-day lives at Roots. It started with becoming a Community Food Centre in 2022, and having meetings with folks like Michael Quibell from the Dew Drop Inn, that showed us about another group of people we could include in our community meals model.
So when Nancy Angus from Age Big approached us about this project called Oasis– a model of community work that focuses on helping older adults age in place while promoting food, friendship and fun – we said yes right away.
And guess what? This new part of the Roots CFC journey has been a bright starburst in our evolution and there’s no going back. That’s why our upcoming Grand Parade this weekend is so important: we really want to bring people together to celebrate the older adults in all of our lives and raise funds to support them through our Oasis program at the same time.
The Grand Parade lets us do both. It’s a fun and family-friendly walk that anyone can participate in – and it happens all across Canada. Thunder Bay is one of 30+ communities hosting a Grand Parade this year, and the money raised here goes directly to Roots for Oasis.
And for me, there is an even more personal connection to wanting to support healthy, connected seniors. My Dad will be 87 soon and though he’s more fit than most 40 year olds I know, his memory is failing him. He can reminisce so clearly about events from decades ago, but anything from the last 10 years gets murky. My dad is the most capable person I know, and I want him to always feel respected, appreciated, and included. On Saturday, I’ll be walking for him and for so many other wonderful older people here in our community who deserve support in aging.
This year’s parade takes place at the Port Arthur Marina on Saturday, September 20th at 10 a.m. It’s easy to take part – you just have to start or join a team, and then find people to sponsor your participation. You can also donate directly to a walker or team that you know and love.
Visit the Grand Parade Thunder Bay site to register or donate, see the route, check which teams are in the lead and more! We’d love to see you on the route!
