Fundraiser to benefit Victoria's Sanctuary Youth Centre
Vulnerable youth in the Capital Region will benefit from an upcoming fundraiser, part of a national event to raise money for a variety of charities across the county.
The "Ride for Refuge" is a family-friendly cycling and walking fundraiser in support of the Sanctuary Youth Centre in downtown Victoria, which helps vulnerable youth aged 14 to 22.
This will be the Sanctuary Youth Centre’s ninth year taking part in the Ride for Refuge. The centre's fundraising goal is $35,000.
Participants can choose between a 2.5-kilmoetre and a 5-kilometre walk, or between a 10-kilometre and a 20-kilometre bike ride.
Funds raised locally will go directly to Sanctuary’s drop-in and mental health programs, with an emphasis on wellness and healthy living.
The centre provides a safe and supportive environment for at-risk youth, giving them access to basic resources such as showers, laundry, hot meals, and sense of community.
“These youth that we serve are experiencing a greater degree of vulnerability,” says Darin Reimer, executive director of the Cornerstone Youth Society and Sanctuary Youth Centre.
He says many of them are on the verge of being homeless or are homeless because they feel safer on the streets than in the home they’ve come from.
The centre opens five days a week and has received more than 40,000 visits since its doors opened in 2004.
“Our vision is all youth are living a healthy and fulfilling lives,” says Reimer.
The executive director is encouraging Victoria area residents to participate in this year's event.
The Ride for Refuge is described as a day when Canadians declare their solidarity with millions of people in Canada and around the world who are seeking refuge from danger, hardship and abuse.
Thousands of participants will be taking part in the ride in 39 locations across Canada, including Victoria.
Each host location will be supporting a specific charity, with Sanctuary the beneficiary of Victoria's ride.
Registration for the event is available online. The ride gets underway at 3 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the Gateway Baptist Church, located at 898 Royal Oak Ave. in Saanich.
For those who would like to help out, volunteers are still needed. More information can be found on the Ride for Refuge website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.