Cathy Robertson remembers Marg Stewart as a confident and friend.
“Whatever you needed, Marg was there for everybody,” the former GoodLife Fitness instructor said about the woman who recruited her to that job.
Stewart, who formed GroupWorks at Ironworks gym in recent years, was also a friend of Noelle Paquette and her family, and organized the Noelle’s Gift of Fitness fundraiser in Paquette’s memory after the kindergarten teacher’s death in early 2013, Robertson said.
When that event evolved last year amid COVID-19 to become the Count Your Ks in May kilometer-tracking fundraiser that brought in $60,000 for Noelle’s Gift, the legacy charity established in Paquette’s honor that raises funds to purchase school supplies, clothes and meals for schoolchildren in need, Stewart was there, Robertson said.
“GroupWorks was the largest contributor of funds raised for last year’s,” she said, noting Stewart was also in a video for the month-long drive.
Stewart died unexpectedly at home on Jan. 20, her Sarnia obituary says. She was 57.
Robertson and others are set to honor Stewart’s memory May 1 with a walk from near the bandshell in Canatara Park to the memorial bench for Paquette under the Blue Water Bridge and back.
“It’s open to anybody that wishes to come,” said Robertson, the walk’s organizer. “We don’t have any special guests. There’s just going to be a chance for all of Marg’s friends to remember her for something that she was so passionate about.”
Stewart was always in the lead when it came to fundraising for Noelle’s Gift, Robertson said about her “amazing” friend of 25 years.
A donation in Stewart’s memory is also planned for Sarnia’s Access Open Minds center while a memorial brick for the Point Edward flag plaza is coming in November, she said.
“I’ve talked with many of the GoodLife instructors (and GroupWorks members) and we all feel the same way, that Marg continues to guide us and support us in our daily exercise routines,” she said. “None of us are going to let her down.”
The 10 am walk to under the bridge and back to Canatara Park is about three kilometres, Robertson estimated.
There were 275 attendees in last year’s Count Your Ks in May event, she said.
That included mostly individuals amid COVID-19, she said, calling the sum raised “more than we had even remotely anticipated,” and adding hopes are more teams take part in this year’s event.
“We’re hoping to expand.”
Registration at noellesgift.ca is $25.
Sponsors Fleck Law and Carpenters Local 1256 have pledged to respectively match the first and second $10,000 raised, Robertson said.
Sunset yoga at 7 pm on May 31 is planned at the Seaway Kiwanis Pavilion in Canatara Park to close out the drive, she said.
“We’re hoping people will see it on social media and decide to do their own Ks wherever they may live.”