Man fundraises for Alzheimer’s Society with 19-hour skate in Niagara-on-the-Lake

A one-man show in Niagara-on-the-Lake. That’s how a Toronto man continued his annual fundraising tradition in the midst of COVID-19.

Every Dec. 15 since 2012, Steve McNeil has laced up his skates and taken to the ice for 19 hours and 26 minutes to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.

It’s a cause that’s close to McNeil, whose mother lived with the disease for nearly 20 years before she died in 2012.

She was born on Dec. 15, 1926.

“I’ve often referred to my skate as a day in the life of a caregiver — it’s about a 19-and-a-half-hour day,” said McNeil who cared for his mother.

“At the end of the day, you’re so tired you can’t even sleep and then the next day starts.”

McNeil normally holds his fundraising challenge at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto but he couldn’t this year because of COVID-19 restrictions.

He took his fundraiser to Wayne Gretzky Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake.