Happiness Hikers join the Lansdowne Cruisers at Brantford Rotary Classic Run

Photo courtesy of Vincent Ball, Brantford Expositor

The 41st annual Brantford Rotary Classic Run on June 1 at W. Ross MacDonald School was not only a fundraiser for the community, but it was also the grand finale of Lansdowne Children’s Centre’s Happiness Hikes: Watercolour Edition Therapeutic Recreation program.

Tiffany Morgan, Recreation Therapy Supervisor for Lansdowne, explained that with the program, “Each week April to June, we met at Waterworks Park where we would then hike to Wilkes Dam and break for some watercolour painting surrounded by nature, followed by a hike back. These adventures were also training us for the Rotary Classic Walk.”

The participants in this edition of the program were: Alex, Aeva, Allison, Dennis, Jacob, Max, Jason, Zoe and Isabelle. Besides Tiffany, the staff members included Elizabeth, Recreation Therapy Assistant, and Recreation Support Workers Sandra, Thomas, Taryn, Candice, and Lynnsee.

“While all the participants were not able to make it to the Rotary Classic, they all participated in the hikes and encouraged their friends along the way,” Tiffany said.

Lansdowne’s team for the event was called the Lansdowne Cruisers; this consisted of Happiness Hikes participants, their friends and families, as well as Recreation Support Workers, other Lansdowne staff, and their friends and families.

Lansdowne is one of the original children's programs supported by the Rotary Classic Run, and the Lansdowne Cruisers are always there to represent the centre.