Help us raise money

These past two years have been difficult for everyone, on so many levels - as individuals and as a collective. For children and youth from under-served neighbourhoods, the challenges have been amplified. Many have been confined to close quarters, isolated from friends and peers, and removed from opportunities for recreation, play, exercise, and the camaraderie and adventure that comes with it. Therefore, we are especially thrilled to announce the return of Walk This Way, our goal-oriented wellness program that targets urban youth. Now celebrating its 15th year (who would've thought!?!), this amazing program has proved transformational for the more than 1500 children and youth who have participated.

With the program back and thriving, we aim to continue building on our vision for the program - expanding to more Clubs, locally, across Canada, and introducing an instructional nutrition and cooking component, so that participants can apply affordable culinary techniques and creativity in their own homes. We have also set a lofty goal of creating an endowment that will ensure this impactful, award-winning program is sustained into perpetuity.  My goal in this is to attempt to raise $100,000. It's a pretty ridiculous target of course, but I'm going to give it a shot.

Enter, the 100K x 100K for Walk This Way challenge!

After 10 years of teaching running clinics and with 57 Marathons behind me, I stepped away from running for a couple years, so I am more than a little out of shape (which is embarrassing for a long-time wellness advocate). But training has begun, and the week of May 23, I plan to log 100km through a range of self-propelled means (scooter, roller blades, skateboard, canoe etc), leading up to the finale, the Half Marathon Event at the Ottawa Race Weekend on May 29th.

Please consider supporting our amazing Walk This Way program (and me), on this crazy 100K x 100K quest.

Logo created by Julie Piché

Walk This Way is a goal-oriented wellness program that encourages youth and teens to become physically active while exploring communities beyond the ones they are already familiar with. The program operates out of five BGC Ottawa Clubs. Walk this Way targets some of the most marginalized young people in our community, whose circumstances do not always allow them to participate in mainstream recreation activities. It primarily promotes healthy, active living but also features leadership, education, community-building, and nutritional components. Over the course of 12 weeks, participants take part in practice walks through the city, visiting unique landmarks, destinations, and events – opportunities these young people might not otherwise have access to. The program culminates with walkers joining the 5k event at the Ottawa Race Weekend. At the event, participants are cheered on by complete strangers and friends and receive a bright shiny medal to honour their achievements. More than 2,000 young people have participated in Walk This Way to date.

BGC Ottawa (formerly Boy's and Girl's Club of Ottawa) provides a safe, supportive place where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships and develop confidence and skills for life.

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