100-Year-Old to Walk 5K in Ottawa Race for Seniors' Aid

In Ottawa, 100-year-old Roy Allen plans to make history next month by becoming the first centenarian to complete the five-kilometer walk at the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, an event scheduled for May 23 and 24.

Allen, who celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this month, is participating to raise funds for four seniors' organizations that have supported his wife, Melba, in her battle with dementia. Originally from Winnipeg and now a resident of Ottawa, Allen has already collected more than $2,300 in donations. The beneficiaries include the Council on Aging of Ottawa, the Dementia Society, Perley Health and the Gloucester 50 Centre. The funds will be divided evenly among them and directed straight to their programs.

"I've all helped with her care, and I can do this to help them get going," Allen told reporters. His daughter, Sarah Bercier, who serves as executive director of the Council on Aging of Ottawa, emphasized the collaborative role these groups play. "I think one of the key messages that we wanted to get out there was simply that it takes a lot of different organizations to pull together to support people in really different ways," she said. Bercier noted that the...