If you haven’t already heard the incredible news, I have been selected to take part in the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation Sahara Desert Challenge in 2019 and I couldn’t be more excited or proud to be participating. The name suits it well, as it will be a challenge. It will be a demanding 100 kilometer trek through the Sahara Desert, but it will be incredibly worth it to raise funds for women and children escaping domestic violence.

To start, I should explain the Shelter Foundation. The Shelter Foundation was started by Royal LePage in 1998 to raise money for women’s shelters and violence prevention programs all across Canada. Royal Lepage covers all operating costs associated with the foundation, so every dollar raised goes straight to these shelters. Since 1998 the foundation has raised over $27 million dollars.

In past years, to boost their regular funding efforts, Royal LePage has spearheaded other 100km treks to places like Iceland and Machu Picchu to raise funds for the foundation. This year, 116 agents and 4 guides will hike the 100km through the Sahara Desert. Over five days, we will be trekking through extreme desert conditions for 7 hours a day, sleeping in yurts through the drastic temperature drops at night. There will be no cell phones, electricity, indoor plumbing, or any of the other creature comforts we take for granted in our society.

To participate in the Sahara Desert Challenge, I must raise a minimum of $5000 for the Shelter Foundation. All expenses for the trip including my flights and all equipment will be covered by myself. Our local Peterborough women’s shelter, Crossroads, will receive 80% of the funds I raise while the other 20% will go to other communities where additional funds may be needed. As a commission donor, I personally will be giving an amount of each commission I make to the foundation. These donations will not be applied to the minimum $5000 I must raise but will be additional funds, going entirely to Crossroads.

As a real estate agent, my job is to help my clients find the perfect place to live, and it breaks my heart to know that there are some who relate ‘home’ with a place of fear and danger. Sadly, on any given night in Canada, close to 6,000 women and children stay in an emergency shelter because it’s not safe for them to be at home. At the same time, 300 are turned away each night because the shelters are at their maximum capacity. Even more tragically, on average, every 6 days in Canada a woman is killed by her current or former partner. In too many cases women go to their local shelter because they are literally running for their lives.

I am fortunate to work and live in such an amazing city like Peterborough, where I know fundraising for a cause like this will be supported due to the camaraderie and huge heart that this community demonstrates time and time again. It is my aim to involve as many members of the community as possible in this venture, and to give back to the businesses and people who support this incredible foundation.

I would love your support in this, in any way that you are available to help. Instead of only asking for monetary donations, I will be organizing several events to raise money by having fun! I will be looking for door prizes, gift certificates for draws, and group events to help raise these funds. For every 10 donations I receive outside of these events, I will be raffling off a gift certificate to a local business which I will purchase as my way of giving back to those supporting me.

I am the only realtor in Peterborough County participating in the Challenge and I am not taking this lightly. My goal is to far exceed the minimum donation requirement and to represent Peterborough and support our local shelter the very best I can. I hope you’ll join me.