This morning we start the day by honouring a local champion. Ralph Richardson was stricken
with Parkinson’s Disease and became an enthusiastic supporter of the Superwalk, a Parkinsons
Canada fundraiser. Ralph’s options became very limited during the Covid years, but he had fire
in his belly, and his impulse was to press on, so he used his own driveway as his walking route.
Despite severe walking restrictions he set a goal for himself to walk his driveway for 100 days,
train or shine. He even indelibly painted this goal on his driveway. Aided by his caregiver Greg
and his wife Berys, Ralph achieved his goal, and along the way, caught the attention of people
across Canada and beyond who appreciated his pluck and tenacity in the face of adversity.
When he reached 100 days, he extended it to 150 days, then 200, then 300. But it couldn’t go
on forever, and it seems that 300 was the limit. Berys tells me that his decline was rapid after
this, and he died in February of this year. In total, Ralph raised $32,000 to help end the disease
that took his life.
We were there to honour a fallen champion in Ralph, and discovered a living champion in
Barys. At 79, she continues on as a dynamo in support of Parkinson’s people and causes. As a
group we marched along the driveway perimeter, just as Ralph had done.
CTV Atlantic News and the Mayor were there to capture the event. We continued on to
Sackville, for a total daily mileage of 85km, and drove to Halifax intending to appear on the
Global Morning Show tomorrow morning butg the demise of Queen Elizabeth confounded that
plan. Instead, we will keep our non-cancellable hotel reservations, toast the memory of the
Queen for a night in Halifax, and return to Sackville in the morning to carry on