Thirty-five nurses from across the United Kingdom will descend on Jasper Aug. 23 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of Edith Cavell’s execution.
They’re calling it the Mount Edith Cavell Challenge.
The week-long visit will see the nurses, as well as about 35 other delegates, challenging themselves physically and mentally through outdoor activities, with the ultimate goal of raising funds for the Cavell Nurses’ Trust.
Edith Cavell was a British nurse working in Belgium during the First World War. She is famously remembered for her commitment to treating all of the war’s wounded, regardless of their allegiances, and for helping allied soldiers escape to neutral Holland.
She’s credited for saving the lives of upwards of 200 soldiers before being caught by a German spy and executed for treason.
After her death, landmarks across the British Empire—including Jasper’s Mount Edith Cavell—were named in her honour, and an outpouring of support saw donations flow in her honour.
The nurses’ trust, which formed in 1917, was created with those donations and has spent nearly 100 years dedicating itself to the dual mandates of education and providing welfare services to healthcare professionals in the U.K. Those services include counselling, advice and financial support where it’s needed.
Many of the trust’s beneficiaries are elderly healthcare professionals who have worked in the industry for most of their lives, others have a terminal illness or a physical disability and need financial support to help them cover medical costs.
The Mount Edith Cavell Challenge, which was organized by the trust, will see the visiting nurses, as well as numerous mountaineers from the U.K., take part in outdoor activities in Jasper National Park, from white water rafting to horseback riding, rock climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking. Some of the more experienced outdoorsmen and women will even climb Mount Edith Cavell, with groups of eight mountaineers heading out each day between Aug. 25 to 28.
“We’re really excited to be holding our first international challenge and at such a fitting location,” said Jon Penhale, operations director of Cavell Nurses’ Trust, in a press release. “There’s no doubting it will be tough, but that’s what these challenges are about. We want to recognize the bravery of Edith Cavell, but more importantly we want to raise vital funds to help today’s nurses, healthcare assistants and midwives who are facing difficult times.”
The nurses will arrive in the park on Sunday, Aug. 23, first visiting the Columbia Icefield and Glacier Skywalk before making their way into town.
On Monday morning at 10 a.m., there will be a wreath laying ceremony at Mount Edith Cavell, marking the beginning of the challenge.
To learn more about the Cavell Nurses’ Trust or the Mount Edith Cavell Challenge, visit www.cavellnursestrust.org.
Nicole Veerman
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