2 minute read
Wellness in motion
Wellness in motion
A unique approach to virtual fundraising
For residents of long-term care facilities, recreation activities are vital. These activities help keep bodies and minds strong and are also a great opportunity for fun and community.
Students in Fanshawe’s Recreation and Leisure Services program study the tools and techniques needed to deliver activities to a wide range of people. In 2020, students studying in their second year partnered with McCormick Care Foundation in London for a unique and rewarding Signature Innovative Learning Experience (SILEx).
As part of a virtual Wellness Week fundraiser called Fit for Care, students held three virtual events: TikTok Challenge, Art Night: Bold Portraits and Cooking Demo: For the Holidays. They set an ambitious goal of raising $10,000 for McCormick Care Foundation. “Neither the professors nor the students had ever organized a virtual event before, but COVID-19 forced us to rethink what we could do,” says Linda Whitehead, who—along with fellow faculty member Allison Menegoni —worked with the students on the event. “We took a ‘learn as you go’ attitude and forged ahead.”
This approach clearly paid off. More than 100 people participated in the events and they raised an incredible $18,000. These funds allowed McCormick Care Foundation to purchase a tandem bike for their residents and enhance the garden along the bike path.
The students now have a new skill to add to their resumé—planning and executing successful virtual fundraising events.
The success of the initiative inspired an even bigger vision for 2021, and included inter-departmental collaborations with students and faculty from Fanshawe’s culinary and contemporary media programs, along with mindfulness coach Diane Yeo. Funds raised from the 2021 event went toward purchasing a wheelchair-accessible swing for residents and their loved ones to enjoy and enhancements to the home’s east garden.
