86-year-old senior walks in support of Beachburg Arena

Russell Mackay of Beachburg, Ont. walks dozens of kilometres each week.

On Saturday, the 86-year-old man, who is legally blind, pulled on his running shoes to hit the track at the Beachburg Fairgrounds for a fundraising walk to support renovations at the Beachburg Arena.

"I like helping people. I like to do things for [causes], I feel great when I do it,” Mackay told CTV News.

"They have some work to do on this rink, some repairing, for the kids."

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Mackay may be better known as ‘Papa’ to some, and has taken on similar challenges for charity in the past. Saturday was the latest leg in his “Papa Walks 4 Kids” journey.

“I like to help different organizations if I can. My money is running down all the time, but I'm not going to take it with me,” he says.

In 2020, Mackay took on a 125-kilometre, multi-day walk from Beachburg to Ottawa in support of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), raising $120,000.

Mackay also walked across Renfrew County in 2021 to fundraise for Hospice Renfrew, trekked from Guelph to Toronto for Sick Kids Hospital in 2022, and hiked across the Pontiac to the Shawville Fair for CHEO in 2023.

Across all his fundraising campaigns, Mackay has walked over 270 kilometres and raised more than $200,000.

"You keep those legs going. Every day I walk,” says Mackay. “I go about three miles a day. Sometimes I go five miles a day.”

A photo showing Russell Mackay on Saturday's event poster. (Crystal Mackay)

'Papa’s' goal for Saturday was to raise $1,000 for his hometown arena, a rink that has fought through some difficult years to remain open.

The Beachburg Arena was closed for two years during the pandemic and was nearly shut down by the municipality for disrepair, requiring contributions from volunteers to reopen again.

"This comes at a timely opportunity when people are already using it,” says Mike Bradbury, a director with the Beachburg Recreation Association.

“The rink has had some mechanical repairs but we’re back underway."

There is a laundry list of items requiring attention at the arena, and Mackay’s contribution of $1,000 won’t cover it all.

But the community knows that every little bit helps to keep what some call the heart of the village open.

"Right now, we're looking at a new roof or an upgrade to our roof, a new control panel for the plant room is in the next couple of years to get it done, and looking at maybe a floor down the line,” says Hugh Martin, manager at the Beachburg Arena.

"Somewhere along the way, something will go,” says Dave Mackay, Russell’s nephew and former president of the Beachburg Fairgrounds.

“And then we'll have that money. We don't have to go and raise it. We'll have it and ready to go."