Wellspring Calgary TriWELLathon
By Ashley Simpson, Marketing Coordinator
Last weekend, Cedarglen competed in the second annual TriWELLathon, put on by Wellspring Calgary. You might be wondering, what exactly is a TriWELLathon? It’s similar to a triathlon in that you complete three (or more) activities, however, instead of swimming, biking, and running, we got to choose from wellness activities. Some of these were exercise related and some were more relaxing. In addition to these, our Cedarglen Team also participated in the team challenge; a series of four events, where each team receives points based on their performance.
As a team, we first agreed to try hip-hop dance. What an experience that was! The tune was Judas by Lady Gaga (watch the video here: http://youtu.be/wagn8Wrmzuc) and we would just be learning the steps in the chorus. It was great to see all our employees dancing around and enjoying themselves, even if our dance skills are not up to par with Lady Gaga.
After our dance lesson, the team challenge started. There were three fitness activities and one dance activity. Needless to say, the four participants we had were relieved at the end of the challenge. Their efforts paid off and Cedarglen took home first place! Great job team!!
Next, we broke off into groups, with one group going to interpretive dance, and myself and a colleague going to Chinese Tea Meditation. I was unsure of what to expect going into this, however it turned out to be a very informative and relaxing experience! The ancient art of tea brewing is a unique activity in China. It is not simply fill the teapot with water and serve. A special unglazed teapot is used and rinsed repeatedly with hot tea before the tea is served. It was very relaxing to watch, and we also got to learn about different varieties of tea and how to best serve them.
The last activity we participated in was core-strengthening yoga. The instructor was friendly and helpful as she guided us through various stretches and poses to strengthen our core. This was a nice way to end the afternoon.
Wellspring Calgary is an organization that supports people diagnosed with cancer, and is there with them throughout the journey. The activities we participated in are ones that Wellspring offers to help relax, ease, and rejuvenate their visitors. Other activities were also available such as meditation, tai chi, and arts and crafts. I would have liked to try them all, but I will have to wait until next year’s event to test out the rest! Not only was this event for awareness but also for fundraising, with all of the donations collected go to support Wellspring Calgary and the services they provide.
Lastly, the best news for last! Cedarglen was able to raise an outstanding $3,415.00 for Wellspring Calgary! Great job to all ten of our participants and everyone that helped make this important event a success!
For more information on Wellspring Calgary, visit: www.wellspringcalgary.com