Last Wednesday, a group of eleven people from the Grace Dart Extended Care Centre (GDECC)—five residents and six staff members—took part in La Grande Marmite, a large-scale culinary challenge. Organized by La Tablée des Chefs, the goal of the event was to assemble one million ready-to-cook dry soup packets that will be distributed to elementary school children in underserved communities across Québec.
More than 1900 participants, including several celebrities, took on the challenge, which was hosted by Ricardo Larrivée at the Palais de congrès in Montréal. On site, each six-member team had one hour to assemble as many dry soup packets as they could. The $1500 registration fee per team went to the Soupes solidaires program to finance even more servings.
For our CHSLD residents, taking part in an event such as this is much more than just a cooking activity. It was an opportunity to actively be involved in the community, to feel useful despite their limited motor skills, and to contribute to our collective well-being. Their participation shows that one can continue to make a positive contribution to society no matter one's age or limitations. Ultimately, these seniors gain a real sense of pride and accomplishment.
Thank you to site manager Rinda Hartner for taking the lead and mobilizing her team to take part in this initiative. And congratulations to the team at the Grace Dart Extended Care Centre for their kindhearted generosity!
- Photo 1: Moments before leaving for the Palais de congrès in Montréal, resident Roman Fylypchuk and site manager Rinda Hartner were all smiles.
- Photo 2: Proudly wearing orange aprons created by Rinda Hartner and featuring the Grace Dart Extended Care Centre logo, the group received encouragement from Liberal Party candidate Steven Guilbeault (on the right, wearing a grey jacket).
- Photo 3: Resident Katsulis Panagiotis worked attentively on preparing the ready-to-cook soup packets alongside administrative agent Saida Rekik.
- Photo 4: The GDECC participants reached their goal of assembling 200 soup packets!
- Photo 5: Recreational support aide Bianca Synal was on hand to support residents Audrey Myrtle Bobbitt and Marie-Christine Mardy as they took part in this event.
- Photo 6: La Tablée des Chefs founder and general director Jean-François Archambault (wearing a Montréal Canadiens jersey) and the event’s host and La Tablée des Chefs spokesperson Ricardo Larrivée took the time to pose with the GDECC participants.