Senior walking daily 'marathon' for local food bank

Jacquie's Journey: 'Marathon' for local food bank A senior is walking a 'marathon' each day to raise funds for the North Huron Community Food Share. CTV London's Scott Miller has more.

Wingham, Ont. — Jacquie Beale lives life by the following motto: “We are not put on this earth to see through each other, but to see each other through.”

With that in mind, the soon to be 70-year-old, who suffers from debilitating rotoscoliosis, and requires a walker to get around, will be pushing herself to the limit every day for the next two weeks to raise money for her local food bank.

“I’m going to be doing a marathon everyday. I’m going to walk around the Belmore Community Centre five times a day for 14 days in order to celebrate my 70th birthday. Each day will be a marathon for me because I have multiple physical handicaps,” says Beale.

Friends and family in Belmore came out to cheer here on as she embarked on her 70 laps for 70 years challenge.

“As I’ve gotten older, my rotoscoliosis has become much more of a problem. I need a walker if I’m going to be doing any kind of walking. It’ll be a challenge every single day, but the food banks are worth it,” she says.

Beale doesn’t turn 70 until September, but says the food banks needs help now.

The goal of the campaign from the plucky senior, is to raise $7,000 over the next 14 days for the North Huron Community Food Share. Over $1,000 has already been raised on the first day.

“Jacquie has been coming in with donations the last three weeks, so we already thought she was doing this great thing. So, on Wednesday when she said she was doing this walk for us, we were blown away,” says Roxanne Nicholson, chair of the  North Huron Community Food Share.

Thirty-one new families have used the North Huron Community Food Share since they started emergency COVID-19 hampers five weeks ago. That’s why the 69-year-old Beale will be braving daily pain to try and make a difference.

“I’m putting forth this effort to call attention to the food bank, so please give generously because there are many people in need,” she says.

You can donate to Beale’s 70 laps for 70 years food bank fundraiser by clicking here.