Joyce Paradis, this year's spokesperson for Two Miles For Mary (Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

SENIORS TRANSPORTATION

‘They’re angels’: Spokesperson for Two Miles For Mary ready for 2023 Radiothon

Sep 28, 2023 | 3:23 PM

It’s a service that senior citizens in Prince Albert say is vital and one that they will fight for year after year.

This year will mark the 39^th year for the annual radio campaign which raises funds and support for the Seniors Transportation service at Prince Albert’s Community Service Centre.

CEO Bill Powalinsky said it’s a service that’s seen tremendous growth over the past many years.

“We provide anywhere from six to 7,500 trips a year. Seniors need to go for medical appointments, they need to go for shopping, they need to go for social events, family visits, go to church. If you don’t have a license and you don’t have anyone to transport you, it is as one of our seniors said, a lifeline.”

According to this year’s spokesperson for Two Miles For Mary, those involved in making the service possible are angels.

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“I’ll defend them right to the day I die. Without them, I’ve got nothing,” said Joyce Paradis. “The taxis are so expensive, I’d be lucky to go out twice a month with a cab. With them (Two Miles for Mary), I can go out every week.”

In speaking to paNOW, Paradis, 82, said she was at first, surprised when she was selected as the 2023 spokesperson. Nonetheless, she said she’s happy to support a cause that’s been vital to her and other seniors.

“When I believe in something, I will fight for it. On the senior transportation I will fight as much as I can do,” said Paradis who added that in writing her will, she asked that half of her estate go to the Seniors Transportation service. The other half is destined for the Legion for the Poppy Fund as her father was a veteran.

Paradis said she has a lot of passion for the service but only because she feels it’s the only affordable option in the city.

She recalls moving back to Prince Albert in 2003 after her husband’s passing. Then, she said there was plenty for seniors to do, particularly downtown.

“They had good busses on, the cabs were terrific, the city was wonderful, there were businesses downtown that I could go to,” she said as she reminisced about weekly walks to the downtown Co-op.

Unfortunately, many businesses have either closed or moved out of downtown, leaving seniors like Paradis with fewer places to go.

“It’s like the city has forgotten about us seniors. There’s very little transportation for some of us seniors,” she said, noting that cab fares have risen drastically in the past 20 years.

The City of Prince Albert recently proclaimed September as Seniors Transportation Month during a City Council meeting on Aug. 8.

(City of Prince Albert)

The annual campaign gets its name from one of the first users of the service, Mary, who had an average trip of two miles.

Powalinsky explained that they want to expand the service, which is why Friday’s radiothon is so important.

“In the past years, we’ve been able to extend our service into weekends, but we’re still pretty much committed to doing our trips during the normal business hours Monday to Sunday. If we had the resources and had the funds to expand our service, that would certainly be something we’d be proud to provide,” he said.

“It’s one of a kind in Western Canada and Prince Albert can be very, very proud of this service.”

Paradis said she is very proud to represent the service and is encouraging the community to get behind it.

The Two Miles for Mary Radiothon runs Friday morning on 900 CKBI and those interested in donating can call 306-763-2679 or e-transfer at tmfm@pacsc.com.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com