A playground for senior citizens? (4 photos)

The Ontario Finnish Resthome Association (OFRA) is raising money to build a cutting edge recreational facility for its residents.

One might call it a playground for seniors. Or not.

“I prefer seniors exercise equipment rather than seniors playground,” said Heidi Slotegraaf, OFRA’s manager of Program Support Services.

On Friday, OFRA is holding its 2016 Harvest Fest Draw proceeds of which go towards the construction of a park built to help seniors maintain their health and wellbeing.

The Canadian Distributor of the product says that if OFRA does go ahead and build the park, OFRA will be the first in Canada to have a facility of this kind; at the very least they are one of the first in Canada.

The equipment OFRA is hoping to purchase, like standard children’s playground equipment, is made up of different pieces that can be placed in any desired arrangement.

“All the components help to improve or maintain residents’ physical abilities to do the activities of their daily life,” said Slotegraaf,

Each piece of equipment is designed to exercise parts of the body related to specific daily activities.

For example, the ‘Snake Bar’ component requires users to move their arm up and down as they navigate a metal ring along a zigzag bar.

This exercises arm muscles used in getting dressed, personal grooming, and hanging up clothes.

 A ‘Bridge’ component has users walking along a swinging rope bridge with planks spaced apart along it.

This helps users practice their standing muscles, particularly for uneven or unstable surfaces like on a public bus.

A ‘Finger Steps’ module looks like a mini ladder and requires users to ‘walk’ their fingers up and down it.

This promotes the finger dexterity needed in tasks like buttoning a shirt or using a telephone.

The company lists more than 20 modules that can be used in any arrangement for a seniors activity park.

“I’m a recreation therapist so I’m always looking to benefit the residents in all domains of their life. With this equipment they will be getting the physical benefits of the exercise, the social benefits of them interacting with each other and child visitors, getting fresh air, and being stimulated cognitively,” said Slotegraaf.

OFRA is intending to purchase equipment from the Finnish company Lappset, which specialize in designing playground, park, and outdoor sport equipment.

OFRA's mission statement says its fundamental goal is to provide facilities and services 'within a milieu of Finnish culture and traditions'.

“Seniors equipment like this is so big in Finland. I’m always hoping that, once we build this, someone’s relative will come here from Finland and say ‘Oh, wow, you have one of those too?',” said Slotegraaf.

If they reach their Harvest Draw goal of $120,000 OFRA be able to build their dream seniors park however, even if they fall short, they still want to go ahead with the project, just with less components.

As of Wednesday, the estimated amount raised was $60,000.

If anyone would still like to participate in the draw, tickets can be bought through the rest home right up until minutes before the draw, which will be at 9 p.m. on Friday at the Water Tower Inn & Suites.

Tickets are $20 each and every ticket automatically enters you into all four of the following prize draws:

Prize 1 - A 2016 Polaris Sportsman 570 ATV from Rivercity Motorsports or $6,000

Prize 2 - An 11 foot wood canvas canoe hand made by Ron Pellinen and filled with 6 kegs worth of beer from Northern Superior Brewing Company

Prize 3 -  A 2017 Stealth Titan 6×12 Cargo Trailer from Woody’s Wheels or $2,400

Prize 4 - Fly-in-Fishing Trip for four people from Hawk Air (choice of 12 destinations)  or $1,800

Tickets can be purchased from OFRA directly from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at their 721 and 725 North Street buildings and at the Harvest Draw from 5-9 p.m.

Participants must be 19 or older.