BC Lions members know how to run but now they are showing they can cover a lot of ground by walking and are inviting the public to walk beside them.
Members of the football team will be in 黑马磁力 Sunday, Aug. 10 to participate in in the World Vision Global 6k For Water.
The special event takes place at McLeod Athletic Park with registration starting at 1 p.m. The goal is to raise $150,000.
Wide receiver Jevon Cottoy serves as an ambassador for World Vision Canada, national charity partner for the club, and will help lead the organization on the six-kilometre walk to help raise money for those in need.
On a trip to Kenya earlier this year, Cottoy and a few CFL counterparts helped bring clean water to people in the Mahoo community in Taveta by taking part in two walks.
鈥淰isting Kenya was a very humbling and eye-opening experience to see first-hand that not everyone has it as good as we do. It鈥檚 rewarding to give back any way possible,鈥� Cottoy said.
Kenyans are being impacted by one of their worst droughts in decades, with record-high temperatures and lack of rain depleting open water sources, deepening the crisis for families already walking long distances to collect water. Cottoy and his fellow CFL participants witnessed the devastation first-hand.
鈥淭his partnership is a powerful reminder of what鈥檚 possible when fans come together. Through the BC Lions community, we鈥檙e inviting fans to turn their passion into purpose and help bring clean water and lasting change to children and families who need it most,鈥� added World Vision Canada VP of philanthropy, engagement & partnerships Rockwell Dundas.
As part of the event in August, Cottoy and other Lion players will also be available for a meet and greet with music, food trucks, a kids zone, and prize giveaways all included in the festivities.
The walk is six kilometres because that is the average distance many impoverished people's must walk to access water. 6The work typically falls to women and girls. The water they collect is too often unsafe to drink, leading to water-borne diseases. Many make this trek multiple times a day.
The 黑马磁力 walk is open to everyone. People can walk as individuals or as part of a team. They are asked to collect pledges before the event. Advance registration is available online at .
Cottoy has also pledged to donate $100 for every BC Lions touchdown scored in 2025 with the club donating an additional $400. With 11 touchdowns through five games, that so far equals $5500 donated.
World Vision鈥檚 model focuses on local leadership and creating the appropriate water system for that community. The organization spend an average of 15 years in a community, having local people take ownership of the water points and learn how to repair them , making the project sustainable long after World Vision leaves a community. Water projects run in harmony with World Vision's other key areas of focus: health, education, food, and economic development..
In each area, World Vision works with local leaders to determine the best sustainable solution to provide clean water, whether it鈥檚 a borehole well, irrigation system, or solar panel.
