MEDIA ADVISORY - Tk'emlúps to Gaza Walkathon for Children on October 17

5-Km walk to raise funds for children's programs in B.C. First Nations and Gaza

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 15, 2021 /CNW/ - Volunteers from the International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF), the BCMA-Masjid Al-Salaam and Education Centre, the Kamloops Aboriginal Friendship Society (KAFS), and the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society (VAFCS) will be among those walking in Deer Lake Park in Burnaby on Sunday, October 17 to support children's programs in Gaza and First Nation communities in British Columbia.

IDRF's goal is to raise between $20,000 to $30,000, with proceeds being split equally between an IDRF children's project in Gaza, and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society whose programming provides mental health supports and counselling services for survivors of the residential school system.

In addition to IDRF, VAFCS and KAFS, the Tk'emlúps to Gaza walkathon is being supported by a variety of charitable organizations including the Foundation for a Path Forward which is the official faith-based community convener for B.C., the Muslim Association of Canada whose Vancouver chapter will be attending, Pakistan Canada Association, Masjid Al-Hidayah and Muslim Scouts of Canada.

"We hope this inaugural walk of friendship with our aboriginal and Muslim partners will become an annual event in support of children's causes at home and abroad," said Ali Haidar, IDRF Community Development Manager for Canada West. "There is no better cause than supporting the healthy development of our children."

The 5-Km Tk'emlúps to Gaza walkathon will take place at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby in compliance with COVID-19 precautionary measures, on Sunday, October 17. The event will start at 10:00 AM and is expected to finish by 2:00 PM. The Walkathon will be followed by a community event at Masjid Al-Salaam and Education Centre (5060 Canada Way, Burnaby BC, V5E 3N2) from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

The organizing committee is looking forward to the attendance by a representative from the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network.

Interested media are invited to attend and record the walkathon and community event. Spokespeople will be available prior to, during and after the event. Photos and raw video footage can also be obtained by request.

The walkathon's name is drawn from the people and regions that will benefit from the proceeds. The Tk'emlúps te Secwe̓pemc (Tk'emlúps for short) are members of the Interior-Salish Secwe̓pemc (Shuswap) speaking peoples who occupy a vast territory of the interior of British Columbia. Gaza is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

SOURCE International Development and Relief Foundation

Media contact: Jey Pakeerathan, Media, PR and Government Relations Coordinator, Tel: [phone] (# 523) or Cell: 226-456-0038, [email protected]