BEING almost 90 years old is no barrier for some who want to raise money charity and stay active during the Covid-19 lockdown.
87 is the age of the oldest resident taking part in a charity walkathon being organised in the grounds of a sheltered housing development in Adara.
Embury Close Sheltered Housing offers independent living in one and two bedroom apartments on the edge of Adare village. Over 20 residents, mainly senior citizens, who live in the development are participating in the charity event.
The walkathon involves residents walking in relays within the grounds of Embury Close, while maintaining physical distancing, with the objective to raise much needed funds for a number of charities.
Organised by Embury Close manager, Simon Baker, the walkathon sees each resident walking during a specific timeslot and tracking their distances by carrying a relay baton which houses a Garmin watch donated by Amphibian King, specialist running gear store.
At the end of their walk, the resident places the handle of the baton in a bucket of disinfectant from which it is then picked up by the next walker.
Simon is no stranger to fundraising or team activity. An international footballer with the Irish Amputee Football Association (IAFA), he represented Ireland in the 2018 Amputee World Cup in Mexico and the European Championship in Turkey in 2017.
In his day job as manager of Embury Close, he has been working hard to ensure that the residents are kept safe and happy during the Coronavirus crisis not only by organising careful shopping and safety protocols but also by organising an outdoor concert and encouraging residents to stay active.
“Residents told me how grateful they were for the support they had received from the community of Adare. Together we came up with the idea of the charity walkathon,” said Simon.
Three charities will benefit, Alone, Barnardos and Milford Care Centre.
The walkathon started last week and will continue while the residents remain cocooned. They have already raised over €1,000 on their GoFundMe page before the Walkathon is even started.
Donations at https://www.gofundme.com/f/embury-close-walkathon-residents-giving-back
