99 laps for 99 years. How this Cambridge woman is looking to give back for her birthday

Joan Thomlinson has only one wish for her 99th birthday: to help sick children.

By the end of May, the Cambridge, Ont., woman will have taken 99 laps around the walking track at her retirement community. She started walking at the beginning of the month and plans to walk the last few remaining laps on May 30. The last day of the fundraiser is May 31.

She's hoping her feat will help raise at least $3,099 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit that provides families with a place to stay close to where their sick child accesses medical care.

"I just tell myself 'you've got to do it,' and I just do it," she said. "You have to keep moving. It's healthy."

Thomlinson says she chose to help raise money for the Ronald McDonald House because she wants to help children. She was also inspired to help last year, for her 98th birthday, when she raised money for Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. And the year before that, on her 97th birthday, she raised money for the Cambridge Food Bank, which says it served 2,363 children during just the first four months of this year.

Thomlinson's birthday was in March. She moved the fundraiser to May to take advantage of the warmer weather.

"I just walk the track. It's nice. And if I'm lucky, I can get some of the other residents to come and walk with me," she said.

"It's important to me because who else is going to do it?"

'She's inspiring others'

Erica Boer is a staff member at the Seasons Retirement Community in Cambridge, Ont. where Thomlinson currently lives. She has worked closely with Thomlinson for three years, ever since the idea to raise money for charity first came up.

"I think she is so well loved here and she really inspires others to participate in things, not just in her fundraisers -- but in the community in general," she said.

"All of the celebrations we've had at the end of her last two fundraisers, we've had some of our biggest turnouts for events because everyone wants to cheer Joan on."

Boer says Thomlinson is a reminder that you're never too young or too old to do something.

"She said to me that she feels like she's doing something so small walking for charity, but I don't think she realizes she's inspiring others," Boer said.

Thomlinson says her inspiration comes from Captain Tom Moore, a British Army officer who raised money by walking for charity in the lead up to his 100th birthday in April 2020. He raised almost 33 million pounds, or more than $58 million, with international support from as far away as North America and Japan.

"I thought if he can do it, I can do it. And that's how it all started! Thanks to Captain Tom," she said.

"[Friends and family] think it's a darn good idea!"