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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.