The June Social has been approved for Friday, June 2, 2023. Click for details
2022 AGM
Well, the 2022 AGM is now in the history books. We had a very successful meeting, beginning with registration at the St. Albert Legion around 11:30 AM. We had had some nice socialization and visiting time, followed by a great hot lunch buffet. The meeting started just after 1:30 PM and we adjourned around 2:10 PM. The highlights of the meeting included the election by acclamation of Sandra Mooney to the Board of Directors, brief commentary on the reports found in the AGM booklet and some excellent feedback from the floor on future social events. A copy of the booklet with all reports is available through the link below.
There will be a B of D meeting on Monday, April 24 where items arising from the AGM will be discussed.
JUNE SOCIAL
June 2nd, just prior to the start of SENIORS’ WEEK, will be the date of our next WPSS social event. This lunch meeting will be centered around a talk by a representative of the Alzheimer’s Society! Seeing we are all getting a wee bit up in years this should be very interesting for us all.
Nothing has been confirmed as of April 14 but I thought I’d give you a heads up as to where we are going with our social events. The next Board meeting will be April 24th and more details will be forthcoming after that. There will be another notice on this page and full details under Future Events!
Please, feel free to comment on this tentative event
Picnic in the Park
Our annual Picnic in the Park event has been officially booked! We will be meeting at Emily Murphy Park, Picnic Site #1, from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM on Friday, August 11!
I’ll be posting these details along with a park map in the Events section in the next little while. Keep checking for updates.
KEEP MOVING!
SWIM PROGRAM
Our great water based exercise program has finally started up again after the multi-year Covid shut down and lengthy renovations at the ACT Center. We gather every Tuesday at 5:00 PM and spend an hour in the water with a certified exercise therapist from Equality Fitness. These trainers are qualified to work with people dealing with disabilities and they go out of their way to tailor programs to individual needs! This program is worth the effort of getting there and goes a long way to keep us active and moving! WPSS has private time at the pool every Tuesday from 5:00 PM through 6:00 PM and every Saturday from 4:00 PM through 6:00 PM. At the moment we have a coach for every Tuesday session. If attendance warrants it we may bring the coaches in for Saturday sessions too.
Come on out and join the fun!! KEEP MOVING!!
Bernd Schwanke
OUTREACH
REACHING OUT TO POLIO SURVIVORS
Your Board has been working on ways of spreading the word out, primarily to Polio survivors, but also to other members of our community, about Wildrose Polio Support Society.
Our first project was to design and produce an updated version of a brochure, “Are you a Polio Survivor,” a document that WPSS first produced more than 20 years ago.
We have sent copies of these brochures to all of our current members. We hope that you are able to pass these around though your own contacts for the benefit of other polio survivors and the various care and medical agencies.
We have also visited many Seniors Centres and other Care Homes in our region and have left posters on Notice Boards together with a supply of these brochures.
Recently we have contracted with “Coffee News” to have a series of business card-sized advertisements about WPSS appear over the next year. These adverts will appear at random frequencies throughout Edmonton and surrounding areas.
If any of you have more ideas about getting the word out about WPSS please contact any one of our board members. We would surely appreciate all the help we can get with this.
Jonathan Smethurst – Director
Sad News
We are sad to announce that we have lost some members and friends in the past few months.
Catherine Strome passed in February of 2022
Diane Thompson passed in November of 2022
Margaret Sugden passed in December of 2022
Glyn Smith passed in March of 2023
We all remember Glyn as our long time office manager/administrator.
There will be a “Celebration of Life” held in Glyn’s honor on April 15 at 2:00 PM in the Social Room of Glyn’s and Chris’s condo at 511 Queen Street, Spruce Grove.
Everyone is welcome.
Our condolences to the families of these individuals. May they rest in peace.
AGM
The society AGM will be held on April 21, 2023. Go to EVENTS/FUTURE EVENTS for details
A POLIO STORY – LUNCH and a MOVIE SOCIAL
On Friday, March 3 WPSS hosted a lunch and movie social at the St. Albert Legion featuring the film “Warm Springs”. The afternoon began with registration at 11:00 AM, followed by an excellent light lunch of soup and sandwiches catered by the legion kitchen.
Half way through the film we had a half hour intermission during which a dessert of fruit and baked goods was served.
After polio threatens his political career in the early 1920s, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Sir Kenneth Branagh) desperately searches for a cure to his newly acquired disease, hoping to regain the use of his legs. He learns of a promising spa in Warm Springs, Georgia, and travels there, only to find it dilapidated. Determined to overcome polio, Roosevelt invests in the spa’s revitalization, and sets about recovering, aided by the support of his wife and his physical therapist.
This real-life story is a tremendous example of perseverance, determination and overcoming some of the obstacles which polio survivors and post polio syndrome sufferers have to deal with on a daily basis. The courage displayed by these people provides inspiration and hope for us all as we struggle with the burden of our daily challenges.
This lunch time event was attended by 30 members and guests. Hopefully you had an enjoyable time and find some inspiration in the FDR story.
Let the office know how you feel about this event and if you would like more of the same in the future! PHOTOS
LUNCH AND A MOVIE
A Polio Story
Join us on Friday, March 3, 2023 for lunch and a movie at the St. Albert Legion. Get full details by clicking on the link below!
https://polioalberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Polio-Story.pdf
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