Walking in Jackie's Memory

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish cheerleading squad gets the crowd ready and kick starts Jackie's Walk, a fundraising walk-a-thon for Community Living Welland/Pelham. It was held on May 29 this year at Merritt Island.

Published in Niagara This Week- June 2, 2011Niagara This Week Link
Over 100 people gathered at Merritt Island in Welland on the weekend to honour a woman dedicated to serving her community.

Jackie Espaniel, a 20 year employee with Community Living Welland Pelham, had a dream to acquire wheel chair vans for the organization. In 2000, in the midst of planning the group’s first fundraising walk-a-thon, Jackie died suddenly from an aneurysm.

Jackie was so beloved that Community Living decided to continue with the walk-a-thon plans and dedicate it to her memory.

“Jackie recognized our need for wheel chair vans. And so, when she died we wanted to do something to always remember Jackie,” explains a display board set up by Community Living at the event. “It is for this reason we proudly call our annual walk-a-thon Jackie’s Walk. This walk is, and always will be, for Jackie.”

Jackie’s husband, Rene Espaniel, was at the event and says his wife would have been pleased by how far the fund raiser has come.

“Every year it's getting better. Jackie would be delighted," he says.
Becky Hallet, Jackie’s sister, says she attends the walk-a-thon every year.

“It’s the least I could do,” she says. “It’s in her memory that I come. My sister Jackie was always a caring, giving person. She enjoyed her job and really believed in helping out the people that she worked with.”

The mission of Community Living is to advocate for, promote and facilitate the full participation, inclusion and citizenship of people who have an intellectual disability.

Carol Sykes, public relations coordinator, says Jackie’s Walk “usually raises about $10,000 each year.”

She says it costs about $60,000 for a wheel chair accessible van.

“This is our twelfth year doing the walk for Community Living. Money will trickle in during the year that is always designated for Jackie’s Walk and we’ve been able to purchase four wheel chair vans throughout the years. Once we get our fifth one we’ll start a fund for van repairs and upkeep,” she says.

Sykes says this year is special because Therapy Tails Niagara joined Jackie’s Walk.

“We’ve just partnered with them; it’s really neat that they’re joining our walk.”

Therapy Tails Niagara is a dog therapy program which is involved with many community outreach programs.

“Community Living is an excellent organization,” says Tina Hill, founder of Therapy Tails Niagara. “We just started visiting with Community Living Welland Pelham so we thought we’d come out and support their walk-a-thon”

Jackie’s idea to raise money for wheel chair vans has come a long way, and her dedication will not be forgotten by Community Living Welland Pelham. The last panel on their display board says, “Today we walk for Jackie. We walk in her memory, in honor of the dedication and commitment she demonstrated to the people we support and in celebration of her life."