Move over Flames and Oilers – some dedicated Calgarians are now going head-to-head in their own Battle of Alberta.
It’s a battle that brings all kinds of benefits for kids who definitely deserve a boost.
The competition is part of a fun challenge pitting the north of the province against the south as people take part in a Walk and Roll fundraising event during June.
Participants get out whenever they can, on foot, on bikes or in wheelchairs.
“It brings so many different individuals together that are all living with physical challenges, getting them out to be active,” event organizer Sheralee Stelter said.
Stelter is with Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families, one of eight Alberta charitable agencies taking part in the effort.
The money raised goes toward programs that support people living with disabilities.
The participating agencies also provide medical equipment for their clients and adaptive bikes for kids like five-year-old Oscar.
‘(The bike) allows him to be around other kids his age and join her sister when she’s out on her bike,” Oscar’s mom Tracy Oh said. “It’s awesome.”
Money raised by the Walk and Rollers also helps cover the cost of sending kids with disabilities to special adaptive camps during the summer.
“It boosts the self-esteem and helps them be part of what they’re deserving of,” said Tricia Spruit of the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association. “It gives them that opportunity to just be a kid.”
Spruit says no matter who comes out on top in this Battle of Alberta “everybody’s a winner.”
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