Calgary woman climbs to help feed hungry children

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CALGARY – A Calgary woman who is passionate about climbing and keen to get ahead thinks she may have found a way to do both in one leap.

Karen Knowlton is aiming to climb Mount Athabasca on July 23. In addition to her adventurous rise, she is fundraising for a local charity called I Can For Kids.

“So I thought you knew, I can bring my passion for the mountains and try to fundraise for a charity,” Knowlton said. “I know right now they’re really hit hard, it’s a very good year to do it.”

Knowlton loves nature and with her life and climbing partner Manuel Prieto the two meet up in mountain parks most weekends exploring new trails or walking to a peak they’ve already done. . She’s happy to try something more difficult.

“Mount Athabasca was a good introduction to mountaineering,” Knowlton said. “The guides do it all the time, so I wanted to be safe but I (also) wanted it to be a good challenge.”

She has set a goal of raising $ 25,000 for her climb, but it is already $ 30,000 in two months.

“On the first day, we received $ 5,000 in donations,” Knowlton said. “It satisfied the matching dollar for dollar donation from the Children’s Hospital Aid Society of $ 5,000, which was fantastic.”

To help her reach the 3491-meter summit, she will climb with a mountain guide from the Ridgeline Guiding Company in Canmore.

“Karen’s efforts to reach the summit of Mount Athabasca in July are not only courageous, but they help us share the message about the importance of caring for vulnerable children in our city,” said Bobbi Turko, Co-Founder and Director. executive of I Can For Des kids.

Turko says the money Knowlton raises will provide at least 1,200 children with $ 50 grocery gift cards.

“We are providing support on a meaningful level for the family,” Turko said. “In some situations there may be only one or two children in the household, in others there are more, so we make sure our support is personalized to meet their needs. unique. “

Turko says that through its network of more than 25 social service partners and community organizations, the charity is able to reach tens of thousands of hungry young children across the city. In 2020, it reached children in more than 135 communities across the city.

“COVID-19 has really had a big impact on the fact that kids are not in school and not being supported,” Knowlton said. “So that’s where I Can For Kids came in.”

Learn more about Karen’s journey and how to donate here: icanforkids.ca



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