Anyone who knows Schlegel Villages well knows that within the large extended family, there’s a hefty mix of collective love for the mission and values that guide the organization in its vision for a social model of living for residents, and a competitive spirit between each of the 18 Villages.
We’ve seen that spirit come to life in large events like the Schlegel Olympics, which for years have brought the Villages together to honour that competitive nature in our residents and team members, and we see it in smaller challenges where local sister Villages rally together for a cause that hits close to home.
Throughout the month of February, the “Push-Up Challenge” in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association registered more than 70,000 Canadians, each committing to do a minimum of 2,000 push-ups over 18 days to help raise funds and awareness of better mental health for all Canadians.
In the spirit of friendly competition, The Village of Riverside Glen in Guelph put the local challenge out, and The Village of Winston Park responded. Alysha Voigt, Winston Park’s Director of Quality and Innovation, calls it the “friendly Highway 7 rivalry,” and says she was proud to see teams from both Villages take on the challenge.
She says the rivalry makes it fun, but at the root of the challenge is an opportunity to learn and talk about the different ways one’s mental health can be affected in the course of daily life, both in positive and negative ways.
“You’re learning,” Alysha says. “Every day you open up the app, the reason they’re making the daily goals they are is because they line up with an important mental health fact. We’re focused on sharing meaningful activities and improving team well-being this year, and this definitely opens the door for conversation here in the Village”
The reality is, within the Villages, both team members and residents face mental health challenges; team members are part of a caring profession where by nature they put the needs of others before their own, while residents face challenges that coincide with declining health or different aspects of loss.
Talking about mental health will always be important, and this challenge offers yet another opportunity to do so. It also helps that between the Villages, more than $4,100 was raised in support of the Waterloo-Wellington branch of the CMHA.
“I’m very proud of both teams’ commitment over these last three weeks,” Alysha says.
Of course, she also noted that Winston Park officially tallied 23,494 push-ups versus Riverside’s 23,277, and Winston Park raised $115 more than their neighbours east of them down Highway 7. It is, after all, a friendly rivalry among family.
For his part, Riverside Glen General Manager Bryce McBain, who initiated the challenge, was quick to pass along his congratulations and gratitude for the team at Winston Park and their rivals in his home Village.
"Thank you for not just participating," Bryce said to the participants, "but for inspiring others around you with your energy and determination. You’ve set a powerful example of what can be achieved when compassion meets action. Let’s continue this momentum, supporting our communities with the same enthusiasm, because every small effort contributes to a brighter, healthier future for all."
