Many Red Deerians are showing a lot of heart amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A local coalition, SPARC Red Deer, is encouraging residents to tape paper hearts on their windows as part of the Neighbour Heart Hunt.
“The general idea is that you can place a heart in a window that people can see when they’re walking,” said Denise Fredeen, SPARC Red Deer coalition co-chair.
“We’re hoping families are, of course, keeping their physical distance, but if they are going on a walk with their family members who they’re around all the time, they can search for homes that are showing their heart.
“We all want to stay connected during this time in any way that we can.”
SPARC stands for Strengthening Positive Assets and Resiliency in Communities.
The hunt, which is part of the Paint the Town Positive initiative, will provide Red Deerians with the opportunity to get some fresh air, Fredeen said.
“When we are physically active, it improves our mood. It improves our mental and physical wellness. This is a way we can promote our community still connecting by doing an initiative together and by adding physical activity to your day,” she said.
Fredeen said she hopes to see the hunt continue to grow.
“One of our co-workers also has a coalition in Lloydminster … and this was an active initiative they were doing. They saw a lot of growth and positivity in their community, so she shared that with us,” said Fredeen.
“We’re working on lots of different positive activities we can promote throughout this time. We thought, ‘Hey let’s get this going here in Red Deer.’”
The Neighbour Heart Hunt has received a positive response on social media, said Fredeen.
“I think it’s definitely catching on,” she said.
“A few communities are doing different things. I know when I went on a walk, I saw one (home) that had a joke in their window. It was really cute for me and my kids to read.”
Others have been making hearts in the snow using footprints, she added.
For more information on this and other SPARC Red Deer initiatives, visit www.facebook.com/SPARCRD.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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