OTTAWA, May 25 /CNW Telbec/ – On Sunday, May 27th tens of thousands of
Canadians in cities across the country will join in the 23rd annual World
Partnership Walk, to increase awareness and raise funds to help fight global
poverty.
Organized by thousands of volunteers, the Walk is an initiative of Aga
Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) — a not-for-profit, non-denominational
development agency. All proceeds of the Walk (100%) go directly to overseas
programs that seek to improve health care, education and rural livelihoods
while strengthening community-based organizations in some of the poorest parts
of Asia and Africa.
On Sunday, the Walk will take place in eight cities: Montreal, Toronto,
Kitchener, London, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria. In Ottawa, the
Walk will take place on Sunday, June 3rd. Overall, some 70,000 walkers and
sponsors are involved, along with 900 corporate supporters.
Now in its 23rd year, the World Partnership Walk has raised more than
$36 million, including more than $5 million in 2006. Funds raised by the Walk
help AKFC leverage additional support from the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) and other major donors. In this way, contributions
to the Walk stretch even further to help impoverished families and communities
become self-reliant.
“Our participants, volunteers and sponsors have made a significant
contribution to Canada’s ongoing efforts to make the world a more peaceful,
prosperous and secure place,” said Mr. Khalil Z. Shariff, CEO of Aga Khan
Foundation Canada. “This year, let us join together again to be part of the
solution to global poverty.”
The World Partnership Walk provides an experience that is both meaningful
and fun for participants, through activities that inform, educate, celebrate
and entertain. This year’s notable guests include: the Honourable James K.
Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario; The Honourable Gordon Campbell,
Premier of British Columbia; The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of
Ontario, and Professor Stephen J. Toope, President and Vice Chancellor of the
University of British Columbia.
World Partnership Walk participants can join as individuals or on a team.
Registration is free and can be done securely and easily online by visiting
www.worldpartnershipwalk.com or by calling 1-800-267-2532.
Aga Khan Foundation Canada has been creating lasting and effective
solutions to the challenges of global poverty for more than 25 years. As an
agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, AKFC benefits from a unique global
vantage point from which it undertakes a wide-ranging agenda of humanitarian
work.
Ismailimail 