Doctors name senior group Strive Award winner
Dartmouth, N.S. – Happily Ever Active has been chosen as the 2013 recipient of Doctors Nova Scotia's Strive Award.
The organization brings together youth volunteers to teach dance, art and music classes to seniors in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The group has a special focus on engaging seniors facing physical, mental, social, and financial challenges.
“Being active and part of a community is important at any age,” said Dr. Mike Fleming, Doctors Nova Scotia President. “It’s important that we ensure seniors, of all social, mental, and physical capacities have access to programs that help them live active lives.”
The primary goal of the organization is to increase physical activity among seniors living with chronic health conditions while providing opportunities for young adults who want to create change in their communities.
Since Happily Ever Active began two years ago, it has expanded to offer six programs, reached 550 seniors, and engaged 45 volunteers. Programs, which range from a Hawaiian dance class to a seniors’ summer arts camp, engage seniors in healthcare, long-term care and community settings.
“Many seniors have difficulty accessing fitness programming or participating in it due to health challenges, transportation challenges, and financial limitations,” explained Jesse Robson, the program's co-founder and managing director.
“Our program helps eliminate some of those barriers,” she added.
The Strive Award, which was presented during the association's annual conference this past weekend in Digby, NS, comes with a $10,000 grant to further develop the program. Happily Ever Active was selected as the winner from 37 community groups that applied for the award.
The group has plans to use the grant to purchase exercise equipment such as Nordic poles, cuff weights and resistance bands that can be stored in low-income seniors housing facilities for use by residents at anytime.
The group will also purchase two new stereos to help expand the program to two more facilities.
The Strive Award has been given annually, since 2011, to a Nova Scotia community group making innovative and strategic actions to support and promote health.
For more information about Happily Ever Active visit www.happilyeveractive.org
For broadcast use
Doctors name Happily Ever Active the 2013 recipient of the Doctors Nova Scotia Strive Award. The seniors’ community group beings together youth volunteers to teach dance, art and music classes to seniors with chronic health conditions in HRM. The group received a $10,000 grant during Doctors Nova Scotia’s annual conference to continue growing their program in communities.
Doctors Nova Scotia is the professional association representing all doctors in the province. It is the oldest medical association in Canada. The association represents about 2,500 physicians serving patients across the province, and 700 medical students and residents.