Abbotsford charity Run For Water has been hosting runs in the Fraser Valley since 2008 to raise awareness and funds for clean water projects in Ethiopia, a country where one-third of the population lacks access to clean water. Run For Water partners with the Ethiopian-run charity Imagine1day which builds clean water systems in the most rural villages of Ethiopia in order to allow young girls to be able to attend school. You can feel amazing about giving to Run For Water as 100 per cent of all your donations go directly toward clean water systems; all of the overhead is covered by generous partners. As well, the charity ensures that each partner community in Ethiopia raises 10 per cent of the funds needed to build the well to foster a sense of ownership over the project in the people who will be using and maintaining it.
This charity has always been innovative in its approach to fundraising, and being unable to host a large race this year, they have come up with the Upstream Challenge. Thanks to many different community partners, the Upstream Challenge allows participants to earn $35 for clean water projects in Hawo, Ethiopia every time they go for a walk, run, bike ride, and hike for the entire month of May.
The Upstream Challenge allows you to participate in one of two streams: competitive or non-competitive. The competitive stream boasts longer runs/bike rides/hikes, with races like a 33 km bike ride along Vedder Dyke, a five km hike to McKee Peak, a nine km hike to Chadsey Lake, five km runs along Vedder River and Sumas River, and a 10 km run along the Fraser River. The non-competitive stream features a number of smaller walks, runs, hikes and bike rides, such as Mill Lake Park, the Fraser River, Albert Dyck Park, the Abby Grind, and Stanley Park. The non-competitive stream is perfect for anyone living outside Abbotsford, as it allows you to complete a 5 km walk or run anywhere in the world and still unlock $35.
Here are the steps you need to take to participate in the challenge:
Register through Race Roster, paying an initial fee of $35 and choosing whether to participate in the competitive or non-competitive challenge.- Customize your fundraising page, if you wish, by adding a fundraising goal, a photo, and a little about why you are competing. Share your fundraising page to raise awareness and more funds for clean water projects.
- If you choose to go with the non-competitive challenge, you can either enter your race into the Race Roster page, or upload a picture of you completing the challenge on socials using the #EnvisionUpstream hashtag in order to earn the $35 per challenge completed. For the competitive stream, you need to download the Strava app on your phone, and follow the email instructions you were given upon registration to join a challenge. You will also need to register to make a Climburo and Vaporrace account, and sync these accounts with your Strava, in order to keep track of your challenges.
- Complete as many challenges as you can in the month of May, and everytime you do, you will earn $35 for Run for Water. As well, everytime you complete a challenge, you are entered to win prizes from various sponsors of the Upstream Challenge.
- If you’re in the competitive stream, be sure to submit your race results into Strava to be listed on the leaderboard. If you’re in the non-competitive stream, submit your race results into Race Roster to be on their leaderboard.
Share your challenges on social media using the hashtag #EnvisionUpstream and tag Run for Water’s Instagram to bring more awareness to the cause and encourage your friends to join the challenge as well!
Images: Andrea Sadowski/The Cascade
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.
