Attention News Editors:
OTTAWA, May 25 /CNW/ - The 19th annual World Partnership Walk raised more than $3 million today and brought together tens of thousands of people in cities across Canada to fight global poverty. The Walk, the largest event of its kind in Canada, raised record funds and brought out more Canadians than ever looking for a way to make a difference in developing countries.
Notables attending the Walk this year included Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia; Anne McLellan, Minister of Health for Canada; Michelle Divon and Lana Ayoub, Ottawa high school students campaigning for peace and tolerance; Dr. David Turpin, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Victoria; BC Premier Gordon Campbell; and former Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy, who was involved as an Honourary Walker.
The World Partnership Walk is an initiative of Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC), a registered Canadian charitable organization that supports social development projects in Asia and Africa without regard to race, religion, political affiliation or gender. Nazeer Aziz Ladhani, AKFC's Chief Executive Officer, said that the event is a way for Canadians to make a difference in developing countries. "There is a tradition in Canada of caring about the world that resonates in the World Partnership Walk," Mr. Ladhani said. "The programs made possible by this event and its thousands of supporters, both individual and corporate, are helping poor people in critical regions of the globe such as Afghanistan and Mozambique."
The Walk, which is organized each year by hundreds of dedicated and tireless volunteers, took place simultaneously in Calgary, Edmonton, Kitchener, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg. Some 800 corporate sponsors were involved across the country in raising money and awareness in the event, including national media partners The Globe and Mail and CTV. Additional information can be found, and donations made, on the event website by sponsoring an Honourary Walker or event participant at www.worldpartnershipwalk.com. The next Walk will be on Sunday, May 30, 2004.
Because administrative costs are funded from a separate source, 100% of the money raised in the Walk goes to support efforts by AKFC to address the root causes of poverty, finding, using and sharing solutions that help to end human suffering and improve quality of life at the local level. Many of the Foundation's programs are undertaken in partnership with the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency. The agency matches funds raised by the Walk, which multiplies the value of donations.
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For further information: Mary Gooderham, AKFC (Ottawa),
1-800-267-2532, ext. 107; worldpartnershipwalk.com