Early Saturday morning a Maple Ridge man and his friends will be walking 60 kilometres for a second year in a row to raise money and awareness for Movember.
This is the second annual walk organized by Jaden Shanley for the charity that focuses on education and the prevention of men’s health issues, including mental health and suicide prevention, prostate and testicular cancer.
“I wanted to do something pretty special and something significant,” said Shanley.
The reason why the group will be trekking 60 kms is in support of the Movember charity’s Make A Move campaign where people are being encouraged to run or walk 60 kms over the whole month of November – “60km for the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour, every hour across the world”, reports the charity.
However, Shanley thought, why don’t we just tackle the 60 kms in one day.
The group will be starting off at about 5 a.m. at 227 Street and Abernethy Way in Maple Ridge and making their way over the Pitt River Bridge to Town Centre Park in Coquitlam where they will be walking 5-10 kms around the track before making their way back to Maple Ridge again.
Between 15-20 people will be taking part.
Last year out of about seven participants, only three finished the walk, said Candice Kossack, whose son Brandon Williams, will be taking part this year.
“It’s a big feat (to finish),” she said.
Shanley’s group raised a little more than $3,000 last year.
READ MORE: March for Movember in Maple Ridge sets 60 km goal
“Last year my original goal was only $500 because I wasn’t too sure what to expect,” said Shanley.
This year year he is hoping to raise more than $3,000 again. By Friday afternoon the group had raised $1,100.
RELATED: Ridge friends trek 60km in one day for Movember
The annual November-long Movember event encourages men to grow moustaches as an outward sign that they’re raising money and awareness for health issues impacting men.
The Movember charity has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world since 2003.
To donate go to ca.movember.com/mospace/14328066.
Have a story tip? Email: cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.