After careful preparation, we are excited to announce that we are almost ready to begin in-person classes! Our instructors are getting vaccinated, our space is getting prepared, and we will begin phasing in in-person classes on Tuesday, September 7th! We are looking forward to welcoming you back to our Blanshard Street gym, and we want to assure you that every safety precaution is being taken to keep you safe. All of our instructors, staff, and volunteers will be fully vaccinated, and we are sanitizing our equipment between every class. We are also sanitizing any high-touch surfaces regularly throughout the day, and making sure to practice hand hygiene. The PWP Living Room will be closed for the time being, until we’re able to safely gather socially.
To keep your fellow participants safe, we’re also asking you to do a few things. Please provide us with either proof of double-vaccination, or a doctor’s note or other medical documentation stating that due to medical reasons you are unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This will also be requested of any visitors or care partners, and for the time being, we’re asking that non-participant visitors don’t stay for classes, unless they are needed for assistance. We’re also asking that you arrive when class is starting, and leave as soon as it ends, so that we have time to clean up before the next class begins. Please bring your own water bottle.
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There are two ways to show us your immunization information: you can take a picture of your vaccination card and email it to donorsupport@parkinsonwellnessproject.org, or you can come in on your first day of class and show the card physically to a member of the office staff. Once we have documentation of your vaccination, please check in with a staff member or volunteer each time you enter the building, but you do not need to show your vaccine card each time. Please wear a mask until you’re checked in, and continue to practice hand hygiene in the building, sanitizing your hands when you enter and washing before and after using exercise equipment.
If you aren’t vaccinated, we encourage you to continue to take part in our Zoom classes. However, if you aren’t vaccinated and wish to take part in in-person classes, please bring your medical documentation to your first class. You will be asked to wear a mask and maintain two metres of distance from other participants, for your safety and theirs. Unfortunately, we can’t offer every class in-person to unvaccinated participants, but we can offer Tai Chi, yoga, PWPFit! Chair, and Functional Fitness.
Thank you for your patience as we move towards normal operations. Your health is our biggest concern, and we know that with your help, we will be able to offer in-person classes in a safe and fun way.
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PWP Open House September 24th
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Save the date! Friday, September 24th at 6:00 PM will be our first Open House since the pandemic. We'll be updating you on our programs and events, showing off our new space, and seeing many of you for the first time in over a year. There will be refreshments, live entertainment, and a chance to catch up with staff and your fellow participants. We'll have more information for you in our September newsletter.
For those who can't make the evening event, there will be an afternoon showing from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
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Alf Todd is Riding for Parkinson's Again
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Alf Todd is back and organizing another Ride for Parkinson’s!
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In June of 1987, Alf Todd started cycling with his family, first with his young sons, and later with his daughter. Their early trips covered over 1,600 km, taking them all the way to San Francisco and back.
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After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2007, Alf’s daughter helped him to organize the very first Ride for Parkinson’s in 2011, joining seventeen other riders to raise nearly $20,000 for Parkinson’s research and support. Alf has been running rides with his family, friends, and fellow cyclists ever since, and has raised over $100,000 for Parkinson’s services in the Greater Victoria area.
This year, Alf and his fellow riders are covering over 50 km as they mount a three-hour ride to Sidney and back! The ride is starting from the PWP offices on Saturday, August 14th at 9:00 AM, and they aim to return at 12:00 for a post-ride gathering. Come in the morning to see them off, and join them after the ride to congratulate them on their accomplishment!
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This year’s ride is sponsored by Paladin Labs, a pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring or licensing emerging pharmaceuticals for the Canadian market.
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Paladin were touched by Alf’s dedication and drive, and are excited to be the title sponsors of the event. Together, we’re looking forward to this great event.
If you’d like to join Alf on his ride, there’s still time. Drop us a line, and we can put you in touch with Alf to find out what you’ll need. If you’d like to support him on his ride, click the link below to donate or just to follow along as he rides for Parkinson’s!
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Instructor Highlight: Krista Lavoie
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Krista Lavoie offers over 16 years of experience in the fitness/wellness industry and has a passion for making a difference in non-profit organizations. She is trained in several modalities of fitness, including Older Adult, Personal Training, Yoga, Dance, AquaFit, Spin, and Group Fitness.
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This enables her to relate to both participants and instructors alike to provide best practices protocols for her PWP classes, and allowed her to masterfully guide PWP through our rapid growth from 2018 through 2020 as Operations Manager.
Krista has a passion for lifelong learning and values continuous education as a portal to keeping abreast of topical and current events. She currently holds a Child and Youth Care Counselling Diploma, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certificate, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Professional Communication and Leadership, numerous fitness and coaching certificates, as well as 15 years of Leadership and trades qualifications during her career with the Royal Canadian Navy.
In addition to her instruction work, Krista is currently employed by the Government House as Volunteer Liaison. She resides in Langford, British Columbia, with her two children, husband, and two dogs. When she’s not working or studying, you will find her bundled up in a hockey rink or at a baseball diamond supporting her boys’ passions.
Krista is at PWP every Friday, teaching our Functional Fitness classes to the Blue and Green levels at 12:30 PM. If you’re interested in taking part, let us know by email or at (250) 360-6800.
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Parkinson Wellness Projects is looking for volunteers for our Open House on September 24th. We are looking both for volunteers to check people in at the door, and for bartenders to serve wine and beer at the evening event. If you are interested, please drop us a line. Please note that you will have to have your Serving It Right certification to tend the bar.
The Pharmacists Clinic at the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences invites people with Parkinsnon's to take part in an interactive Pharmacist-facilitated Parkinson's group. These appointments bring together up to 10 people experiencing similar health issues to learn with, and from, each other.
Fall sessions are running through August to December, and are provided free of cost. If interested, register at https://www.tinyurl.com/groupappointments
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Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact boxing-based fitness curriculum which adapts exercises from boxing drills to support people with Parkinson’s Disease.
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Exercises vary in purpose and form but share one common trait: they are rigorous and intended to extend the perceived capabilities of the participant. Rock Steady Boxing is one of the fitness programs in use by Parkinson Wellness Project for our own participants.
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For more Parkinson's resources, visit our Resource page on our website. If you have a resource you would like to add, please let us know!
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