They wanted to see a Hamilton Tiger-Cats game at Tim Hortons Field: Wish granted
Eileen and Alex Reynolds wore their Tiger-Cats jerseys once again on Friday - years after they had given up on their dream to watch an in-person match.
But on Oct. 7, the magic happened for them.
Eileen and Alex, both 89 years old, visited Tim Hortons Field with their son and grandchildren to watch the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Tiger-Cats CFL match and relive the old days, thanks to Chartwell Foundation.
The charity, relaunched in October, is helping seniors aged 65 and older fulfil their wishes, dreams and aspirations.
Sharon Ranalli, vice-president of communications at Chartwell Retirement Residences, told The Spectator that it's about removing the barriers for a senior or a retiree related to health, time or even the co-ordination" and letting them do things they always dreamed of doing."
Tiger-Cats games were where Eileen and Alex - who is known for his time as a CHCH reporter - found their love for each other.
Now married for 61 years, the couple has been to over a thousand games together. Alex remembered cheering for Eileen when she marched in the Tiger-Cats parade in 1969. Years later, the couple saw the Ticats bring home a Grey Cup victory against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in December 1972.
They were also there to rejoice in the home team's win against the BC Lions in 1999.
Later, it became a family tradition for the couple to go to the games with their son.
The Reynolds made memories at the games together - until they couldn't.
Their old age and physical ailments disrupted their passion for watching live games. Meanwhile, the then new Hamilton stadium in 2014 made it harder for them to access the facility, marking it as their last visit to the games.
It's the emotion behind someone who is granted a wish," Ranalli said. That's exactly what Alex and Eileen's wish started out with being asked, What would you do if there were no barriers?'"
Their response was to watch the Tiger-Cats football match once again with each other - and with their family. That's what we did. We're granting that wish for Alex and Eileen together with their family to be back in the stadium," Ranalli said.
For the Friday match, the Ticats team arranged accessible seats for the Reynoldses, their son and his family visiting from Florida. The stadium officials also arranged surprises for Alex and Eileen to celebrate their return to the stadium.
Eileen resides in a long-term care home after suffering a series of strokes, while Alex lives at his Ancaster home with his cat. Alex said his wife loves watching sports, while he enjoys music concerts, theatre, films and performing arts.
But it's over. I loved what I did. And then it's gone," Alex said, as he struggles to live up to his passion due to old age.
William Tudoroff, the couple's son, said what's really important about the day is that my parents introduced me to the Tiger-Cats football, and it's been part of my life. Now, I'll pass it on to my family, just like they pass it on to me."
Since Chartwell Foundation's relaunch in October, it has fulfilled four wishes. The first wish granted was for the Toronto Argonauts, another with a visit to Banff, Alta., for a resident who wanted to see the Rockies again, and another one from Quebec from a person who wanted to see a hot-air balloon.
The organization is hoping to fulfil over two dozen wishes from seniors every year.
Seniors particularly deserve having their dearest wishes fulfilled, and seeing them embrace new and life-changing experiences inspires people to rethink their perceptions about aging," said Vlad Volodarski, CEO of Chartwell, in a statement.
He said that by challenging stereotypes, wish fulfilments demonstrate that seniors are dynamic, essential and engaged participants in our society.
Between 2015 and 2020, Chartwell Foundation worked in partnership with Wish of a Lifetime Canada, fulfilling 130 wishes, while raising $800,000 for funding the cause.
Links
For donations: canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-chartwell-foundationla-fondation-chartwell
For submitting a wish: thechartwellfoundation.ca
Ritika Dubey is a reporter at The Spectator. rdubey@thespec.com