Published May 13, 2022 11:00
Run for BGC Ottawa at the 2022 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend , virtually, and in-person, May 28-29, 2022.
Join us, and form a team, or even join BGC Ottawa’s team! You will help thousands of young people access life changing opportunities.
As a charity of choice, BGC Ottawa is fundraising for our Walk This Way program. 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.
Enter the 100K x 100K for Walk This Way Challenge, led by Gavin Lumsden, an incredible BGC Ottawa volunteer and supporter passionate about Walk This Way, and help us raise $100,000 for the program.
Click here to view Gavin Lumsden, and Jonelle Istead, Chief Advancement Officer, speak to this fundraising challenge on CTV News Ottawa.
Click here to join us or donate!
Meet Fardosa & Faiza
Fardosa (9), BGC Ottawa Member, and her older sister, Faiza (19), BGC Ottawa alumnae and Youth Worker have been participating in BGC Ottawa’s Walk This Way Program since their first year at the Club, respectively seven and nine years old. BGC Ottawa’s Walk This Way program is a tradition in their family. Their two sisters, and four brothers have also experienced this life-changing program.
As a young Member, Faiza never explored the city. Her family had a single car for work. Her other parent, stayed home to care for the younger children. Through the Walk This Way program, the Club gave her, and her siblings, “a chance to explore beautiful places in and around our city” like the Science Museum, Parliament Hill, and Gatineau Park.
Fardosa adds “Walk This Way gave me the confidence to take on challenges I wouldn’t want to do before”. She is excited about walking longer. She also loves meeting new friends despite being a shy kid before the Club.
Faiza says Walk This Way is “a bonding session with her family and friends that will last decades”. Walk This Way brings people together, just like a big Club family, and that like a family, people care for each other and help others overcome barriers. “Every kid is different. One kid may not be able to leave their neighbourhood, one may struggle with food insecurity, or have health issues to overcome, but Walk This Way is there for all of them.”
The sisters can’t wait to keep pushing boundaries, experience new opportunities, and meet new people. That is why the whole family continues to participate in the Walk This Way program.
About Walk This Way
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.
How you can help
- Click here to join us at the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
- Click here to donate and support our Walk This Way program.
- Spread the word by sharing this link on your social media and tagging @bgcottawa.
- Connect with your friends, family, and colleagues, and encourage them to join or donate.
More information
Annie Premachuk (She/Her)
Advancement Officer | BGC Ottawa
T: 613-232-0925 x 1224 | apremachuk@bgcottawa.org
