NewsWire - Press Release
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2007/25/c5063.html
OTTAWA, May 25, 2007 /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.
For further information: Jennifer Morrow, Manager, Communications,
1-800-267-2532 (ext. 107), Mobile: (613) 262-3424, Jennifer@akfc.ca