On April 21, a local man will be paddling, not hiking, for the upcoming Prince Rupert Hike for Hospice event.
Dallas Allison will be paddleboarding in the Prince Rupert harbour throughout the day, for as long as people continue donating to the cause.
“We’re trying to collect donations already and kind of pushing that envelope. We want to see where that gets to and that will tell me what time I start in the morning. I’m looking at 6 a.m. at this point as a potential start time,” Allison said.
“But if the donations are higher than anticipated, I want to start earlier so that I can hopefully end in the light. But I’m also prepared to keep paddling into the night.”
For each hour, the price to keep Allison on the water will double, starting at $150.
Having such a unique participant is helping the fundraiser gain more traction, according to Joanne Ritchie, Prince Rupert Hospice Society coordinator.
“All the hospices do their own thing, some do actually go hiking. Walking and wheeling is our thing here in Prince Rupert,” she said.
“Now Dallas is taking it one step further, as he’s pledged to paddle for Hike for Hospice.”
Allison said his day paddling will have distinct parallels to the journey many go on with grief, which is his inspiration for what will surely be a tiring day on the water.
“I thought the event fits so well as a model of grief. I can’t predict the elements that we’re going to be going through, just like in grief,” he said.
“I’m going to be out there on my own, just like in grief. But I have this support team led by Mandy, my partner, just like Hospice steps in when we are in grief, when we’re doing some advanced care planning or we’re looking at MAID (medical assistance in dying), you have that support.”
Ritchie is hoping to break the taboos of conversations around hospice among families, and said these conversations should not only be restricted to elderly family members.
“We’re not planning for death, but we have to talk about it still,” she said.
“You have to have those conversations, and it’s better to have them now when we can joke about them.”
The 2024 Hike for Hospice will take place at 1 p.m. on May 5.
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