The couple who founded Aldor Acres and have opened it up the public – first for Halloween some 35 years ago, and later Easter and other special events – are expanding the calendar further in aid of Parkinson’s.
The family is hosting a Parkinson’s awareness open house at their Glen Valley farm this Sunday,April 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And, they plan to make an annual occurrence.
Dorothy, the “dor” of Aldor, and co-owner of the 80-acre farm with her husband Albert, has been affected by Parkinson’s disease for the past decade.
This weekend’s farm opening is dedicated to both Dorothy & Parkinson’s disease awareness, confirmed her granddaughter Melissa, who manages her grandparents’ farm.
“This cause is quite dear to our hearts,” she said, speaking to the family’s motivation behind this new annual event.
“She is an incredibly amazing woman whose drive, character, and zing for life has always and continues to inspire both our own family and our farm community,” Melissa said of her grandmother.
“Dorothy has chosen to rise above the physical, mental, and emotional challenges that this disease brings,” her granddaughter added, noting that Dorothy will – like at every farm event – be cruising around on her golf cart, boasting red lipstick, a stylish scarf, and a spring hat with the name tag of “Dorothy.”
“We hope by featuring her story and raising awareness that it may inspire, educate, and help people know they are not alone in their Parkinson’s journey,” Melissa elaborated.
“If we could sum her up in one word, it would be ‘unshakable’.”
Aldor Acres previously hosted a Parkinson’s SuperWalk, pre-COVID. Still wanting to do more to help the Parkinson Society of B.C., they opted for a spring open house, which Melissa predicts will attracted a few hundred people minimum in its inaugural year.
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Admission is $16+GST, available online or at the gate, with partial proceeds going to the Parkinson society – which will have an information and support booth at the event.
“This event is for anyone and everyone, no matter if they have a connection to Parkinson’s or not,” said Melissa.
“Come, enjoy the animals, the farm, say hello to Dorothy, and help us raise awareness and support for people affected by this disease.”
For those who have never visited Aldor Acres, she described it as a hands-on educational experience with farm animals, 80 acres of nature to explore, hay rides, a farm market, and food.
“To put it simply, we believe in, we value, we respect, and we are good old-fashioned, hands on farm experiences. Our farm is a real working farm, and we hold that quite dear to our hearts,” she shared.
“With the slow depletion of small farms here in the Lower Mainland, there aren’t many places you can go to simply touch, smell, hear, and feel what farm life is truly like. There aren’t many places you can go to experience unmanufactured natural nature filled stimulus.
“Our farm is full of just that. Wind blowing through the cottonwood forest, barn animals talking to their babies, tractors driving across the fields, ducks splashing in the pond, and kids laughter as they jump in the hay piles. It’s peaceful, it’s nourishing, it’s a breath of fresh air (literally!). We have friendly farm animals, 80 acres for you to bring a picnic, yard games, go for a walk, or create your own adventure, a hay jumping pile (made from the hay our animals will eat through the spring & summer!), tractor rides with our well worn in John Deere green tractors, and our family of farmers, to chat with, to help you learn about the farm animals, and to tell stories about the inner workings of our family farm. A real traditional hands on farm learning experience.”
Aldor Acres is located at 24990 84th Ave., in Langley.
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