A MAN will fly over the Eden Project on a zipwire on his 92nd birthday to raise money for a charity that looks after people with dementia.
Don Raddon, who has Parkinson’s, said he wanted to do “something exciting” for his birthday after using the rope swing at Monkton Wyld Court.
Don, who lives in Chard, initially taught about wing walking to raise funds for the Filo Project but at the end of August, he will fly over the Eden Project on a 100m high, 660m long zip wire at 60mph to support the charity.
His daughter, Christina Raddon, said: “I think he wants to show people that even if he’s elderly he can still do something and make a difference.
“He said he wanted to do ‘something exciting’ for his birthday and he initially thought about wind walking, but he has Parkinson’s and he can hardly walk.
“He wanted to do something for people with dementia and he hopes that more lonely people can be helped by this wonderful social enterprise [the Filo Project]”.
Christina also said her dad always had an active lifestyle and used to play football and cricket.
He also played for Chard Town and Ilminster Town, she added.
Christina also said: “Other family members were less convinced but I just think life is for living. He was a very active person and played football and cricket. He became more sedentary with Parkinson’s.
Christina would also like to highlight the importance of the charity her dad Don is helping.
She said it is for “elderly people who can’t get out and need more mental stimulation”.
Christina also said: “Filo Project is a community interest, not-for-profit company providing award-winning small-group daycare for older people in our local communities.
“Many of the people who attend are living with short-term memory loss or symptoms of mild to moderate dementia and may be isolated or have difficulty getting out.
“As the cost of living increases and as the company continues to expand to support more people, they would like to be able to provide hosts with a starter activity pack which would include art and craft materials, sensory and cognitive stimulation kits, puzzles, and games.
“My dad has Parkinson's disease and limited mobility so the Filo Project has made a massive difference in his life.”
Don's GoFunde Me page can be visited here.
For more information about the Filo Project, visit its website here.
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