A Second World War veteran is giving back to Winnipeg’s arts community in a very big way.
Douglas MacEwan, who turned 96 on Remembrance Day, has raised over $123,000 — thanks in large part to an anonymous benefactor — just by going for a daily walk.
MacEwan told 680 CJOB it all began with a letter from someone offering to donate big bucks to his charity of choice if he completed the task of walking one kilometre each day for the 96 days leading up to his birthday.
The donor, who wants to remain anonymous, pledged $500 per kilometre, plus an extra $500 for each day he walked with a companion. If MacEwan completed the task — which he did on Wednesday — the donor would round the total up to $100,000.
Over the course of the challenge, MacEwan has also received the support of people in the community, bringing the fundraising total even higher — and as a long-time patron of the arts before the pandemic hit, he knew exactly what to do with the funds.
The Manitoba Opera, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will each see roughly $25,000 in their accounts very soon.
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A retired doctor, MacEwan’s motivation behind the donations was ensuring future generations — including his own grandchildren and great-grandchildren — would have access to a thriving arts community in Winnipeg, as performing arts in general face an existential threat due to COVID-19 closures.
While he’s proud to make his cause public, the 96-year-old said he plans to keep the donor’s identity a secret.
“The benefactor wants to remain anonymous, because if word were to get out that he was giving out a lot of money, he wouldn’t get any sleep,” MacEwan told 680 CJOB.
Despite his advanced years, MacEwan said he stays fit by working in his garden.
“I’ve been active for years — I have a big vegetable garden. It’s about 50 feet by 50 feet, with a big fence around it to keep the deer and the rabbits out.
“That keeps me busy almost seven months of the year, so I’m in good shape.”
Over the course of the 117 days, MacEwan said he had a total of 119 walkers join him to support the cause, and he plans to create a souvenir document naming all of them — and the organizations that sponsored their walks — as a memento of the challenge.
And while Winnipeg’s arts walk is over for now, he said he hopes to see others take on the same cause.
“If anyone else in the world wants to copy it, it’s wide open to them, for sure.”
In a tweet Thursday, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet said it’s “in awe” of MacEwan’s efforts, and Manitoba Opera called the walk an “inspirational challenge.”
The cheques for all four organizations, MacEwan said, are already in the mail.
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