Five seniors from the Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge stepped out of their comfort zones and took on the mighty Athabasca River, June 4.
For some of them the raft trip was their first time taking a trip down the river, while for others it was a break from their regular routine.
“I’ve never done this in this shape before,” said Heinz Callsen, who lost both his feet due to complications with diabetes.
“I never regained my balance which makes it tough for me to get around. I’ve got to do more things like this,” he said with a smile.
“I’m super happy Heinz decided to come,” said
The afternoon event was part of a series of activities organized by the seniors lodge as part of Seniors’ Week from June 1 to 7.
“I always love it,” said Pat Wilson about rafting. “I’ve been down [the river] a few times, but I don’t care, because every time you go down it’s special.”
Heather Wilkinson and Margaret Richardson echoed those sentiments.
“I just loved it,” said Richardson. “It was wonderful.”
Wilkinson said it reminded her of the Kootenays where she used to live.
Other events last week included a garden party, a video dance party, a movie night under the stars, a children’s concert and a mini golf tournament. Jasper’s seniors also had the chance to grab a complimentary lunch at Earls.
The events were open to any seniors in the community.
“We were hoping for more seniors to come down, but overall it worked out really well,” said Des Becquets.
Paul Clarke
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