Paul Lachance raises $1,000 for veterans with birthday push-up challenge
Jul 30, 2024 07:46PM ● By Cloie Sandlin
Paul Lachance celebrates with his wife Davida.
Well, he did it! For his 83rd birthday, Paul Lachance completed an incredible 83 push-ups and threw in a few extra! He raised about $1,000 for the American Warrior Initiative—possibly even more since I last asked him.
“It costs approximately $10,000 for AWI to provide a fully trained service dog plus two years of maintenance. The way I look at it, it’s one-tenth of a service dog,” Paul said.
Paul also talks about what it’s like being the oldest competitor in Spartan races and why he’s passionate about supporting U.S. veterans through AWI.
As for his plans to continue competing in Spartan races, he says, “As long as my health is there, why not?”
He also encouraged readers to give it a shot: “If you’re reading the BEACON, that means you have a heartbeat—if you’re willing to get dirty, we’ll take care of you!”
THANK YOU to everyone who participated, donated and cheered Paul on! If you’re inspired by Paul’s story, you can still donate to the American Warrior Initiative in honor of his 83rd birthday.
It’s also not too late to share videos of your push-ups! Email them to us!
VOTE FOR VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
The BEACON has a long-standing tradition of celebrating senior volunteers, both in the magazine and at our events. During my time with the BEACON, I’ve had the privilege of learning about and meeting well over 100 remarkable volunteers.
Each of the volunteers featured in this month’s issue has been nominated by local organizations for going above and beyond to support others, helping to further the missions of the organizations that do so much good in our community.
All nominated volunteers will be honored on stage at our Montrose-Delta BeaconFest Boomer & Senior Fair at the Montrose Pavilion on Thursday, September 12. But only one can be named Volunteer of the Year—so we need your help! Read about each of this year’s volunteers and follow the instructions on how to vote.
CELEBRATE AGE AT BEACONFEST
Speaking of BeaconFest, we’re getting ready for another fantastic event with exciting entertainment, educational seminars, prize giveaways and more—all for FREE! Get a sneak peek of what’s in store in next month’s issue and at BeaconFest.com.
This event sells out every year, so reserve your booth today by calling 970-243-8829.