Most people who have a birthday celebrate the day with cake and candles. Geordie Farrell however, saw turning 70 differently.
She recently established an Endowment Fund in memorial of her late husband Earl Farrell in support of the local Saugeen Memorial Hospital in Southampton, Saugeen Shores and wanted her birthday to make a difference.
Seventy (70) was the key number for Farrell as she began the day at 6:30 a.m. by swimming 70 lengths of Port Elgin’s 25m indoor Centennial swimming pool, followed by 70 miles on her stationery bike and followed up by that with a 70-minute run along the shore of Lake Huron.
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Co-founders of Saugeen Track and Field Club, over the years the Farrells have helped many athletes throughout the region develop their skills with several going on to the Olympics and others going on to post-secondary education with full athletic scholarships.
Saugeen Track & Field continues to turn out winning athletes
In addition, each year Geordie (and Earl) helped to organize the annual Saugeen Shores Terry Fox Run and the annual Reindeer Romp for Mental Health.
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by Geordie Farrell
Earl and I celebrated his 70th birthday in 2017 by heading west across Canada in Earl’s new truck with our beat-up old camper in tow and Willie Nelson singing “On the Road Again” in the background. It was the trip of a lifetime and we had plans to head east this year to finish our cross Canada journey and celebrate my 70th.
So much has happened since then. While I won’t be embarking on a road trip Saturday, nor have Earl at my side, I will carry his memory in my heart. I will find comfort knowing that Earl is being honoured and celebrated by an incredible community of people … by those in Saugeen Shores ond other communities in Grey Bruce, by our track and field family across Canada, and by friends and family in so many other locations. Every year from now on, patients at Saugeen Memorial Hospital will be reminded of Earl as the SMH Foundation uses the interest from Earl’s Endowment to provide items that will support patient comfort and care at Saugeen Memorial Hospital. What a wonderful legacy you have all helped to build.
