Up and Running

I recently had the opportunity to live and work on a First Nations reserve in remote northern Ontario. Over the course of my stay I took up long distance running and swimming in order to keep fit. The children were quick to notice me and soon became interested in joining me on my runs. By the third week I had inspired 12 children, ages 7 to 12, to start running on a semi-regular basis. This was very exciting for me as I am incredibly passionate about running and it is deeply rewarding for me to share this passion with others. I also see incredible potential in these children and believe that fostering a love of running may help them cope with many of the challenges they face on a daily basis. Troublingly, many of the children were unable to participate due to a lack of proper footwear and clothing. While some of the children chose to run despite not having shoes it was obvious to me that lasting enjoyment of the sport cannot be had without proper gear. In partnership with the community I am interested in providing these children with the supplies they need to run safely and enjoyably. I am currently collecting donations in the form of used clothing and running shoes, as well as monetary donations for sports nutrition and shipping costs. In order to move forward with this project your support is desperately needed. If you are interested in making a contribution or learning more about this initiative please contact Lindsay at [email redacted], or make a monetary donation here.  Gear can me mailed to Lindsay Wilson at 115 Balmoral Street, Thunder Bay ON, P7C 4J6.