THUNDER BAY — Roots Community Food Centre is calling on all businesses, organizations and individuals to form teams to take part in the Grand Parade, which will take place at Marina Park in September.
The Grand Parade happens across Canada on the same day, and in Thunder Bay, Roots Community Food Centre will be the host charity for the first time.
It is a family-friendly fundraiser walk that helps support charities that provide care and service for aging people.
Teams collect pledges and gather at Marina Park on Sept. 21 to walk a 2.5- or five-kilometre accessible loop around the park.
Erin Beagle, executive director of the Roots centre, said the walk will support their seniors and elders programming at the centre.
"The funding will go towards our community meals program, which is for seniors and others over the age of 60 that we serve twice a week here totally free for everybody," she said. "We serve about 300 people a week."
The raised funds will also help support the Oasis program, which is an "aging in place" program that the centre hosts at Bayview Towers and at Castle Green.
"We work with those tenants and community members to build activities that are inclusive and help them to age in place in healthy ways that are focused on friendships, fitness, and food," she said.
Beagle hopes that businesses and corporate sponsors will continue with their support, especially as a food sponsor for the event.
"We'll have food and celebrate the day and we'll be doing a big meal. That's why we're asking for a food sponsor," she said.
"John Trevisanutto, owner of Halfway Motors, is going to bring some vintage and classic cars out to liven up the event and we're thinking about a few other things that will give it a bit of a spin to make it more of our own. It will be a little bit like a strawberry social with a popcorn machine to give it a little bit of a fair festival vibe."
Beagle said they would be grateful for more business sponsorships that will allow them to be able to offer more at the event and to help offset costs.
"There is a lot of different printing that we have to do for the event and if people want to make a monetary donation, that could all go towards all the things that we need, like all the signage," she said.
Participants are encouraged to "dress up" in matching coloured shirts, vintage outfits or any kind of team-unifying fun apparel, but leave their pets and bicycles at home.
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
