WELLNESS

Lorna McIlroy Wellness Committee Member and Past President, ARTA

WELLNESS WALK

ARTA members were joined on their walks by spouses, other like-minded seniors, ARTA staff, and even a few furry friends on leashes. In total, we saw 16 branches participate, with over 300 total registered walkers. The walks also generated sizable donations for local food banks in each branch region.

For my part, I found the walk conversations enlightening as new friendships were kindled, nutritious meal ideas were exchanged, and plans were made to continue walking or to learn pickleball in the coming weeks. In Grande Prairie, at the NWARTA branch’ s walk around Crystal Lake, we enjoyed the quizzical gaze of nearby deer, shared the joy of a smiling group of preschoolers, and detoured to the dock to check out the ducklings and trumpeter swans.

The walks were as diverse as our ARTA branches. The HARTA branch, for example, held not one, but four walks to ensure that all members were able to take part. Vermilion members of CERTA walked in the provincial park before enjoying a delicious barbeque lunch.

Some branches, like EIRTA, regularly host walks for their members, so organizing Heart and Sole was literally a walk in the park. In Edmonton, ERTA’ s

walk was paired with their fully booked Chinatown Walking Tour. STARTA’ s walk in Morinville offered an indoor option as well.

NEARTA met at the Reunion Station in St. Paul for their walk. In the southeast, MHADRTA walked in Kin Coulee Park and, like most branches, they gave options for a short or longer walk. In Lethbridge, our members in SWARTA rose to the occasion in good numbers, with smiling faces.

Walkers from FRTA gathered to enjoy their walk and allocated their food bank donations to the Okotoks Food Bank Association. Our OKARTA branch in B. C. dazzled us once again with an admirable turnout of walkers in the lakeside sunshine.

Did I miss mentioning your branch? Why don’ t I leave that to ARTA member Darcia Pullan, who, with her husband, participated in four incredible walks across the province.

Once again, thank you to everyone who participated this year. ARTA’ s vision was certainly evident on those walks, and on the faces of our healthy, active, and engaged walkers.

EIRTA Branch in Elk Island SWARTA Branch in Lethbridge

OKARTA Branch in Peachland

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