Three heroes in the eyes of children suffering from poverty have tied up their running shoes and have hit the payment. The One Nation Run (ONR) team is running across Canada in hopes of raising funds and awareness to eradicate poverty in Canada. The team, comprised of three runners and additional members as they are joined throughout Canada, run a total of 71 kilometres per day.
Starting out from St. John's, Newfoundland on May 1, the runners are set to arrive on Sept. 29 in Stanley Park, Vancouver. Bryce Dymond, Zaya Kuyena and Brittany Dickson form the group that will make their way across Canada running six days a week.
The ONR is a relay across Canada in partnership with World Vision. The run has two primary objectives, including to "raise awareness about child poverty in Canada" and "to "raise a toonie per Canadian for local programs that will reduce child poverty in Canada."
Meeting these runners is enough to make anyone want to make a difference in this world. Dymond says the money raised will go to an important cause. "We are raising funds and awareness for child poverty in Canada and all the money goes to World Vision Canadian programs and specifically to five immediate projects that are in urban centres across Canada. There is quite a diversity among the five of them."
"There is one in Montreal that works specifically for young moms trying to get nutrients, and prepare education for those mothers as they raise their kids. There is another one in Vancouver that is specially working with aboriginal youth that have left their reserves and have come to the city, and are needing to finish their high school diplomas and find housing. And there is one that works with immigrants with a community garden. So trying to build community with a community garden, but also giving them the proper nutrition in a cheaper way. So kind of a diverse group of programs."
The idea to begin ONR stems from the personal experiences of all three runners. On three separate trips, the team members saw what poverty really meant. Dymond stated "We had never seen kids without clean drinking water, or without proper nutrition, or without a dental plan, or an education system that was not working for them. So when we saw that in our own country, we were just blown away. And we said, we want to do something about this. We want to elevate the discussion of child poverty in Canada, but also share the stories of some of the kids that we have met."
"And I've seen global poverty and it's frustrating to see that. But when we see it in this glorious and free country as we sing about it in our national anthem, and then we don't see kids that are glorious and free, we are questioning how is this happening and how are kids being left behind."
Kuyena, an immigrant to Canada, experienced this awareness in a different way. "You know, being a newcomer to Canada back in the 90s, our family understood the difficulties of having to adjust on several levels. And also, there was a reserve close to where we had actually migrated to - which was Montreal - and we always heard of the social and economic issues of the First Nations people. And first of all, I was appalled. Because you know, I said if we are new to a country and are able to progress ourselves, why aren't they. And obviously, I didn't know about the systemic issues."
"But seeing those things challenged me to be responsible. I think being young, we are usually cynical and critical. But one trait that I share with my friends is being socially active, not just socially consciousness as a sexy word, but involved and engaged in a practical manner. I think running was a way for us to draw attention, not to us, but to the issue."
In addition to the three members that form the team, additional runners have contributed to the cause and the kilometre count. Greg Matthews, one of those runners, joined the team in northern Ontario and has done so again for the Winnipeg to Regina segment of their route. Matthews has his personal motivations as well. "I work at a community centre in downtown Toronto. A lot of our immigrant population uses the community centre, and the food bank, and the programs like that. So I have seen people on a regular basis, that are living below the poverty line. So I understand the issue. I have seen it first hand, so I definitely wanted to get involved."
In addition to individuals joining the team for full segments, runners from across Canada have taken part in the run. While some have run as little as two kilometres, others have run up to 15 kilometres. Regardless of how far people wish to run, everyone is welcome to join the team.
Kuyena explained this. "We couldn't run individually. So we said, hey, lets run as a team. And I think when we say that to Canadians, we are saying tackling poverty is not an individual effort, it is a collaborative effort. We need folks to get behind these children to eradicate poverty in our generation. I think that's possible."
In terms of goals, the team carries both concrete and abstract goals. Kuyena stated that "in terms of numbers, our goal was $200,000. We wanted to raise $2 for every Canadian that heard about the run. And we wanted that amount to be accessible to all Canadians."
"And I think when we talk about goals and especially concrete goals is for various Canadians - as we know poverty in the rural areas of Canada looks very different than that in the urban centres - to get locally involved. So if there are people in your local community, like in the radius of your community or neighbourhood, and you know they are struggling, if people could open their doors and their minds. If you could help a local family or a person and do something locally, then that is important. You know, volunteering at your local food bank, finding different ways to get involved. That is what is important."
Dymond stated that "in terms of donations right now, we are at just over $33,000, so we feel like we are a little behind on the donation part, but we just got a report back from World Vision about our awareness progress with the media and the public, and they said there has been 5.8 million media impressions by the start of August, which translates into 50,000 people in Canada that have heard about what we are doing. And we are hoping to build more of that as we continue west."
Once the team has reached Stanley Park and hopefully met their goals, they will begin travelling back to their respective homes. On this trip will be a number of speaking engagements and events for World Vision. If you are interested in having the team speak somewhere in your community, you are encouraged to contact them directly by email at [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also contact the team at (647) 833-1985. For those wishing to learn more about the cause and donate, you are encouraged to visit their website at www.onenationrun.ca.
In closing, Dymond finished with "We started this run because we believe in Canada. We believe in the kids that we are running for, and we believe in the country. And we believe in those who have influenced us through compassionate action, and through wise and generous thinking that good can come out of this country. We believe in Canada and I think what has happened throughout this run, through our billets, and students spending time with us, and through people joining in with us on the run, is that Canada believes in this run. And they believe in the cause and the kids we are running for. So that has been really encouraging for us and certainly fuels us each day."
