Of the 13 teams in the local Alzheimer Society’s “Pulling for Dementia” event, who competed in the parking lot at Peterborough Memorial Centre on Friday (September 13) to see who could pull a 44,000-pound fire truck the fastest, one team in particular stood out.
The Minds in Motion Cobourg team was comprised of people living with dementia and their family members. While they weren’t the physically strongest team, they not only pulled the fire truck but they also raised the most funds for the event: $16,000 of the total $34,000 destined for local programs delivered by the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton.
Members of the Minds in Motion team met through their participation in the Alzheimer Society’s successful Minds in Motion program and, according to event organizer Jen Johnstone, joined the event in a symbolic show of strength and perseverance by people living with dementia.
“People living with dementia are incredibly strong and resilient,” Johnstone said. “The Minds in Motion team demonstrated that today in a beautiful way. We are so grateful to them for their exceptional participation.”
Pulling a fire truck donated for the day by Safe Lane Fire Truck Driver Training in Lindsay, Covia Corp’s Mighty Miners team came out on top once again this year, with the fastest time of 15.74 seconds. They had strong competition from the Van de Bor Paving team, which came in a close second at 15.95 seconds.
Cobourg-based Lutheran minister Kevin Fast, dubbed the world’s strongest priest (he holds 10 Guinness World Records for feats of strength), was once again the honorary chair for the event. Over the course of the day, he trained participants on the proper technique to safely pull the truck. For good measure, he and even pulled the 44,000-pound fire truck entirely on his own.
With the $34,000 raised at the fifth annual event, almost $137,000 has been raised to date. The local Alzheimer Society uses the funds to support the delivery of programs for those dealing with dementia across the four counties the agency services.
LLF Lawyers LPP and Jack McGee Chevrolet were the main sponsors of this year’s event.
For more information on the society and the services it provides locally, visit alzheimer.ca/en/pklnh or call 705-748-5131.
