Toronto man skating for 19 hours, 26 minutes in Kingston for Alzheimer's awareness

A Toronto man on a mission to raise awareness for Alzheimer's spent the day in Kingston, hitting the ice in a marathon skating session in honour of his late mother.

Steve McNeil skated for 19 hours and 26 minutes, strapping on his skates at midnight at Kingston's Springer Market Square outdoor rink.

"I try to tell people how much fun I have doing this but I don’t think I can emphasize it enough," McNeil laughs. 

As much as he enjoys it, this skate is not all fun and games. The Toronto referee travels across the county, using his skating to raise money for Alzheimer’s research, in honour of his mother who died of the disease.

"Because she was born in 1926, I thought it would be kind of cool if I went and skated for 19 hours and 26 minutes," McNeil says. "So, that was 11 years ago." 

Eunice McNeil battled the disease for almost 20 years. He calls her a wonderful hockey mom to five boys, and says watching her battle the disease was painful. 

"I always know she’s sitting up on top of the roof of one of these buildings every time I skate, no matter where it is in Canada," he says. "I know she’s watching over me."

Skating here since 12 a.m. Saturday, fuelled by AC/DC in his ears and on his clothes, McNeil is hard to miss and so is his cause. 

Bringing her kids to the rink, Katheryn Kyle says she is impressed.

"I was actually up early this morning and I went on the (city of Kingston’s) webcam and I saw this gentleman skating by himself and dancing around and I thought, 'What is going on,'" she says. "Wonderful what he’s doing. He’s certainly raised awareness for me."

On National Skate Day for Alzheimer’s, and for Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, McNeil is encouraging people to donate $19.26 to their local Alzheimer’s chapter.

Vicki Poffley, the executive director for the Alzheimer’s Society of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, says what he does is important for local chapters.

"Not only nationally but right here in Kingston, it raises the profile of the Alzheimer’s Society to let the people in our community know that there are services and supports for people living with dementia and their care partners," she says.

McNeil says he doesn’t know an exact number for how much he’s raised over the years, but he doesn’t plan to stop any time soon.

“I skate for every family and caregiver in this country," he says. "And that’s what motivates me to do what I do."