Ganatchio Trail cleanup honours senior attacked in the same area last October
Site a favourite for Sara Anne Widholm, 75, who is still in coma after beating
More than 150 volunteers picked up litter Saturday just like Sara Anne Widholm used to do along the Ganatchio trail.
The cleanup was called Walking in her Footsteps and was held to honour the 75-year-old woman who remains in a coma after being attacked on the trail in October. The Riverside resident was known for her walks along the trail to pick up litter.
“I think she would be happy to know that she has the community behind her supporting her and continuing where she left off,” Jacklyn Bezaire said Saturday as she picked up garbage with her boyfriend Sean Logan. Logan said it was nice to see people care.
Widholm was attacked along the trail east of Riverdale Avenue and Little River. At the time, her surgeon said it was the most severe beating he’d seen in his career. After police arrested a 21-year-old Windsor man, hundreds of people walked along the Ganatchio trail to show support for Widholm. Laurie Harrison who runs the social media page, WE Put the WIN in Windsor-Essex, organized the cleanup with Eyes on Windsor and help from the City of Windsor and the Essex Region Conservation Authority. Many Windsor police officers also attended the Saturday morning event at Little River Park. Harrison said she was able to meet with Widholm’s sons who live out of town and ask to hold the trail cleanup to honour their mom. One son said the cleanup was something she would have participated in. The Riverside resident most people called Anne is in a coma in hospital, Harrison said. Within the first half-hour organizers had temporarily run out of gloves from the package of 150 that had been on the table with yellow garbage bags. People reported finding broken glass, beer bottles, cups, food wrappers and larger items such as a bike, a tire and a partially buried stove.
“I’m very impressed,” Harrison said of the turnout. “I’m super impressed with the people who came up and just gave me a hug and said thank you for doing this.”
She heard from people who said Widholm went to their church or they walked with her and they were thankful for the event to honour her. Harrison’s husband would often run into Widholm as she walked and they ’d chat. Before she left she would always say “God bless you,” or “Have a blessed day,” Harrison said.
Monique Jamotte picked up litter with her daughter at the park. Her little girl used old kitchen tongs for the task.
“It’s nice to show your young ones that it’s important to keep the earth clean and take care of it,” Jamotte said it will be nice for Widholm’s family to know she made a difference in the community and that people care.