8th Annual Fire Truck Pull for Dementia Recognizes World Alzheimer's Day

Teams flexed their collective muscles in a test of strength and teamwork to pull a fire truck for a good cause.

Nine teams of 10-12 ‘pullers’ hit the AON Citi Centre on Aylmer Street on Friday to compete to see who can pull a 44,000-pound fire truck across a 100-foot pull zone the fastest.

Teams included the Dementia Defenders, AON 1 and 2, Day Service and Minds in Motion, Ptbo Axe Club, CIBC Private Wealth, SGS 1 and 2 and Trent Rowing.

Team SGS1 ended up taking home the title of fastest pullers with a time of 19.85 seconds.

All proceeds raised supported local programs and services at the Alzheimer Society of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton.

Local strongman Kevin Fast was in attendance and pulled a truck by himself.

Fast also offered up some advice for teams that attempted to pull the truck as well.

According to a media release on Monday morning, $9,000 and counting was raised from the event.

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Peterborough Entrepreneur's Unique Company Uses Art To Help Those With Dementia

Peterborough start-up company The Work of Art—last year’s winner of the Bears' Lair entrepreneurial contest in Peterborough—breathes new life into those living with Alzheimer disease and dementia.

Its creator, Janet Howse, an artist and Recreation Therapist specializing in art programming for dementia, believes art has the ability to improve the quality of life for those living with Alzheimer and dementia (there are currently almost 6 million people suffering from dementia in North America, and this number is expected to double by 2030). 

“In 2003 I took a job running art programs on the secure dementia unit in a Long Term Care facility," says Howse. "At the time, I knew little about dementia and had never worked with seniors. I was drawn to the job because of the art aspect but what I discovered was a deep love, passion and commitment to folks living with this debilitating disease.”

For the past 10 years, she has worked in recreation therapy running art studios, one-on-one sessions and professional training for people with dementia and their caregivers. She has seen first-hand what an incredible tool art is for people living with dementia, and believes it is a fantastic aid for caregivers who struggle to find a way to connect with those suffering.

As such, Howse developed all-inclusive painting kits that can be used by anyone but are specifically designed to help bypass the limitations experienced by someone with dementia. She has created an Indiegogo campaign to help raise funds for the production of the first 1,000 demential-specific painting kits, which is her biggest hurdle right now (once the first run has been produced, costs will go down, and the business will be sustainable).

Learn more about her unique painting kits in this video below, and visit her website here.

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