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Trek 4 Kids Hike & Bike
Trek 4 Kids Blog
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Putting Learning Into Action
The past two years, House of Friendship has been fortunate to have students from the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy help build capacity for the Trek 4 Kids hike & bike fundraising event. As part of their involvement the group chooses a name, “PharmaFriends” this year, and provides event support at Trek. This year, students took  » more
Biking the talk
What makes a Trek Champion? The simplest way to answer this question is to tell you about Martin Buhr. Some of you may know Martin as a past Executive Director of House of Friendship.  But he’s also a father, grandpa and someone who is very passionate about our community, especially children, poverty and affordable housing.  » more
Splish, splash, it’s off to camp we go!
What’s a little rain amongst friends? Apparently, not a lot when you’re coming together for a good cause. Over 125 trekkers of all ages and abilities came out in the pouring rain to run, walk and bike, and yes, splish and splash too, at the 6th annual Trek 4 Kids hike & bike. Upon  » more
Going The Extra Mile…
Local businesses are often asked to ‘give back’ to the community in which they work and prosper. Time and again, we see our business community doing just that, sponsoring events, donating items, and sharing their time and skills. House of Friendship couldn’t do what it does without the generous financial, in-kind and volunteer support we  » more
Trent’s Trail Tale
Post by: Trent Bauman, Trek Volunteer On Monday evening with the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, I did a dry run of the Trek4Kids trail. The Iron Horse Trail was filled with commuter cyclists, families walking slowly after their dinner and athletes training. I was biking and mapping out sign positions for this  » more
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Trekking to Send Kids to Summer Camp, Rain or Shine
 
Thanks to Trek 4 Kids hike & bike, which benefits House of Friendship's Summer Camp Sponsorship program, over 100 kids from low-income homes went to overnight summer camp this year. It was a great experience!
To make this possible, on Sunday May 15, 2011, we got busy raising funds to send kids to camp at the 6th annual Trek 4 Kids hike and bike. About 125 trekkers came out in the pouring rain to send kids to camp. And they succeeded in a big way, raising over $38,000, our best Trek result to date!
We're already working on Trek 4 Kids 2012. Mark your calendars for the afternoon of Sunday, May 6th when we'll kick things off at 2:30 p.m. See you there!
What is TREK 4 KIDS hike & bike?
In the spring of 2005, brothers Eric and Kevin Martin thru-hiked the entire length of the Bruce Trail (850 km) in 39 days and raised $24,000 for House of Friendship's Summer Camp Sponsorship Program! This program sponsors children from families living on low-income in our community to attend various overnight camps each summer. Eric and Kevin called their venture Trek 4 Kids.
Since then, House of Friendship has organized an annual TREK 4 KIDS hike & bike to help fund the Summer Camp Sponsorship program. Trekkers collect pledges (there is no registration fee), and hike, bike and run various distances along Iron Horse and Laurel Creek Trails in the heart of Kitchener and Waterloo in support of local children. We aim to send over 100 children from low-income families to camp each summer.
Why is it Important to Send Kids to Camp?
Summer camp provides children from low-income families with life-forming opportunities that they otherwise may not experience. At camp, children get to experience nature, create friendships, and develop life and leadership skills. Take for example, two brothers from the Sunnydale community in Waterloo. They attended summer camp through House of Friendship's Summer Camp Sponsorship program, which is partially funded by Trek. Thanks to the connections and experiences at Summer Camp, one of them has recently returned from Ecuador, where he did some development work, and the younger brother is now a representative for youth at the Sunnydale Community Centre.
Couldn't Join Us on the Trail this Year? Donate to Summer Camp Sponsorship.
Donations for Summer Camp Sponsorship are welcome year-round. Mail your donations to the address at the bottom of this page OR you can donate electronically through Canada Helps on our Home page (select Summer Camp Sponsorship Fund). Charitable tax receipts will be issued for donations. Thank you for helping to send kids to camp.
The View From The Trek Trail
For those of you new to Trek, the trail begins at 50 Kent Street, just past the Mennonite Central Committee parking lot. It follows the Iron Horse trail north through Kitchener to Waterloo Park. If you’re cycling or running the 23 km route, where the Iron Horse Trail ends, the Laurel Creek & TransCanada Trails pick up the route.
If you have a shorter distance in mind, you can follow the Iron Horse Trail to Sun Life Financial at Park & John and back again for a healthy 9 km route . Many trekkers choose to walk this shorter distance.There's a shorter Family Distance, approx. 5 km route , almost to City Café on Victoria and back to MCC.
Thank you!
For 2011 Trek Day photos and stories, visit our Trek Blog by clicking on the column to the right. Special thanks once again to corporate sponsors KPMG, Eastside Cycle, Herrle's Country Farm Market, SOS Physiotherapy, St. Jacobs Printery, Crabby Joe's, Twin City Graphics, and Rogers TV. Finally, special thanks to the many volunteers and Trekkers for their amazing efforts. The kids going to camp thank you most of all!
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