Walka-what?

In case you didn't know, the first marathon was purportedly run by Greek hero Pheidippides, between Athens and the Plains of Marathon. Last Friday (May 20th), in the same intrepid spirit, the RBC youth carried out another type of “thon”, à un rhythme plus modéré.

Our Walkathon was the first organized fundraiser for the trip to Jamaica, where the whole youth group joined the mission team to march the streets of Montreal, earning money that had been pledged to individual participants in the weeks leading up to the event.

At 10 kilometers, this was a Walk with a capital W, and with 25 people participating, it was obvious that something serious was going on in the community of Rosemount—other pedestrians noticed our assertive progression, and motorists offered hand waves and warm-hearted horn honks.

Funds for Jamaica were not the only incentive to hit the road on Friday; an elaborate structure of rewards for garnering pledges was implemented, including the chance to pie a youth leader of choice in the face. With over $2000 raised by the youth, this meant more than a few messy, messy leaders.

With the success of the Walkathon, the Jamaica team is rallied and gearing up for our next event: the Silent Auction Dinner, happening on Saturday June 11. Tickets for that evening will be on sale on Sunday at RBC.

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About the author: I'm Daniel Shorten. I'm relatively new to RBC (I moved from Alberta last fall), but have enjoyed getting to know all kinds of people at the church and helping out here and there. I'm happy to be joining the Jamaica team as a leader and look forward to serving the people in Montego Bay, as well as the youth participating in the trip.