By Chelsea Carter
Back by popular demand, Crisis Centre Executive Director Stacy Ashton is once again participating in Scotiabank’s Charity Challenge. Join her exclusive Crisis Centre team in support of the Crisis Centre!
Not a runner? Not a problem.
“Participating in the Charity Challenge equals enjoying a nice day in the park while supporting a good cause,” says Stacy. “The course takes you through Vancouver’s beautiful Stanley Park, along the shore of the Lost Lagoon, with lots of volunteers and supporters lining the route to play music, cheer you on, and give you juice and bananas. The event’s atmosphere is one of mutual respect and support, much like the one here at the Crisis Centre. It’s great!”
You can train for the half-marathon if you want to, but if you’d prefer the walking option there’s no training required, just lots of fun and sun* to be had.
This year will be Stacy’s second year participating, and she’s flying in from a family holiday the night before, planning to show up fully jet lagged but ready to go. She is looking forward to enjoying the day with as many supporters as possible!
In terms of fundraising, Stacy found out last year that the key is “don’t be afraid to ask. Your friends and family admire and respect you for the work you do on behalf of the Crisis Centre, and they are eager to show their support. Some of our best fundraisers last year were our crisis line and community learning volunteers, who asked their friends and family on Facebook or Twitter or Instragram for support and were surprised and touched by just how many people donated as soon as they were asked.”
If you think you’d like to join Stacy and others in this year’s 5K walk, or you would like more of a challenge and want to participate in the half-marathon, you can sign up here. You can also read about some tips for getting race-day ready from our own Ian McWalter, a personal trainer.
*sun not guaranteed