Finding joy in the storm: 9th annual Tom’s Walk continues through the rain
The rain over the weekend did not dampen the spirit of those who participated in the annual Tom’s Walk event on Sunday. More than 30 people attended the 9th annual event in Devon, walking an half an hour to the river valley and Voyageur Park, in honour of Tom Maxwell and also to promote the importance of mental health.
“In the land acknowledgement on Sunday, we heard that Indigenous people believe the meaning of rain is healing and reflection, and that rain provides an opportunity for focus without distraction. I thought that was beautiful and just perfect for our event,” says Kelly Maxwell.
“There was driving rain as we walked into the river valley, so we needed to be focused. Yet, it was a time of connection, more than in other years, and that was meaningful,” says Maxwell.
Maxwell said a woman at the event walked with an umbrella and later talked about the effort of pushing that umbrella into the force of the rain. The woman likened the work of pushing against the storm to the work that a person with mental health challenges has to do to function well, while also enjoying moments of reprieve.
Tom’s walk honours Kelly Maxwell’s son Tom, who was known by all around him to be creative, artistic, loving, and inclusive. Also, his family lost Tom to mental illness in 2018. The first annual Tom’s walk began six weeks after his passing. Kelly Maxwell is a retired Black Gold teacher, and organizes the event with the intent of sharing about mental health and celebrating individuals like her son.
The original plan for the 2026 event was to have multiple opportunities for celebration, learning, and connection in the park after the walk portion of the afternoon. Because of the rain, the event shifted to just focus on the walk and speeches from several individuals at the Devon Alliance Church, which opened its doors to host the participants.
“Now we know we can still hold this event in the rain,” says Maxwell. “It was totally okay, and nobody thought it was disappointing. In fact, it did give us the opportunity to really connect in a way that we hadn’t done before. We proved that you can find joy on a journey that is hard.”
*The Black Gold Board of Trustees was at a provincial conference during the weekend of Tom's Walk. The trustees wanted to show their support, so did their own Tom's Walk on a different day.
