Delivering joy

Story by Tina Hennigar 
Picture this: It’s a special occasion in your life, a birthday or anniversary, and you can’t be with your family and friends to celebrate.  
Nancy Rogers, owner and operator of Seaweed Tours in Lunenburg, looked out her window in Garden Lots, just outside Lunenburg, and saw her cheerful tour bus and thought, ‘I can give a gift to the community to help people feel a little less isolated - a little less lonely.’ 
She put her idea on social media, offering to drive to people’s houses and blast music and do a little socially distant jig. 
“If you hear Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog’ blasted from a cute bus from the road, you dance!” Nancy laughed. And dance they did, some even waltzed while others raised their glasses to The Beatles ‘Birthday’ song.
Like most gifts it was free. When asked who covers her costs, 
​Nancy said, “Well, there is a cost to do this, I suppose, in gas and insurance. I just figured there was a greater cost to not do this.  I needed to do this for me and my community.” 
Nancy is a retired Canada Post worker –with no plans to slow down, she bought a bus, wrapped it and offers brewery and winery tours, and sightseeing and storytelling tours.   COVID, of course, made that difficult for a time, but it didn’t stop her from driving the bus to other people. 
She was asked to drive to nursing homes, to long term care facilities, and even to help a little boy celebrate his 9th birthday. She opened the door and called his name and yelled, “We’re going to have a mini-dance party!”
“People have been very kind,” Nancy said they tip her when they have a good time! “It’s not necessary but people are so generous,”  Nancy said she gained a lot from this too. As soon as she turned on a song she felt joyful. She can’t pick a favourite song, “I loved them all.”