Jul 23, 2024 | Community and Partnerships
The Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) Foundation is excited to debut a new challenge in Windsor-Essex: the Adventure Challenge, coming this September to Lakeside Park in Kingsville. In this month's blog, Heather Parisé, Development Officer, tells us all about this exciting upcoming event.The Adventure Challenge invites participants to Run, Walk or Jog their way through a 5 km trail as their team of four face a variety of physical obstacles & mental challenges to complete the adventure.
For ten thrilling years, the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) Foundation hosted the incredibly popular Heart Breaker Challenge - a 5 km mud obstacle run that encouraged participants of all fitness levels to Get Fit, Get Dirty and Give Back. Heart Breaker was made possible, thanks to the incredible dedication and hard work of HDGH’s very own Jason & Heidi Petro, along with the entire Petro family, for whom the Foundation is forever grateful for. Thanks to their dedication along with the thousands of participants and loyal sponsors, HBC raised nearly $1 million for the Cardiac Wellness and Pulmonary Rehab Program at HDGH.
Due to its uniqueness and incredible popularity, it’s no surprise that the community was still craving an obstacle type event. Recognizing this and the hospitial’s continued need for fundraising support, the HDGH Foundation team put our heads together to determine ways to fill this void. The all-new Adventure Challenge will be taking place on Saturday, September 14th at the beautiful Lakeside Park in Kingsville.
We are excited to be partnering with Wild Life Academy based out of Coldwater, ON which offers unique, engaging, energizing adventures with a focus on recreation, fitness and team-building. With a mix of physical and mental challenges, the all new HDGH Adventure Challenge will have groups of 4 working together to complete and experience the adventure.
Similarly to Heart Breaker, The Adventure Challenge features a 5 km run/jog/walk that is broken up with a variety of different challenges. It’s an un-timed event that’s designed for participants of all athletic abilities with a focus on having fun, team building and problem solving. Unlike Heart Breaker, participants in the Adventure Challenge are going to be a lot cleaner when they complete the event – creating the perfect opportunity for our Challenge participants to stick around in the beautiful Town of Kingsville to enjoy some of the awesome local establishments.
Best of all, 100% of the proceeds raised from the Adventure Challenge stay local, supporting the Outpatient Rehabilitation Centre at HDGH.
Register before August 14th to take advantage of our special early bird pricing - $50 per person for general admission and $30 for the kid’s event! The Challenge must be completed in teams of four however the kids challenge can be completed individually. Register online at www.hdgh.org/adventurechallenge
Help us spread the word about this exciting new event by following along on our socials and share it with your own personal networks! It’s completely free for you and is one of the best ways to promote the event! We are on Facebook and Instagram @hdghadventurechallenge and @hdghfoundation
Volunteers are needed to help the event run smoothly. If you are wanting to get involved but the physical challenge isn’t something that appeals to you, perhaps signing up for one of our various volunteer position is more up your alley. To learn more about volunteering, please contact our event volunteer coordinator, heather.hall@hdgh.org. This is a great opportunity for high school students to earn volunteer hours!
Supporting the Adventure Challenge through pledging is a great way to have a big direct impact on the Outpatient Rehabilitation Centre. You can pledge someone you know who participating specifically, or the event directly. Participants can earn some great prizing incentives for pledges earned and all donations, $20 or more are eligible for a charitable tax receipt!
Heather Parisé is a Development Officer with the HDGH Foundation and Corporate Events team. She has been an HDGH employee working with the Foundation for 13 years. Prior to joining HDGH, she was the Communications Officer at the Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre. When not at work, Heather enjoys making memories by traveling to discover new places, especially hands on Children’s museums, with her husband and their four young kids.