Patrick Jackson and Richard Lawrence are completing a 200-kilometre walk along the Nahanni Range Road to raise $15,000 for the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition’s Voices Influencing Change program.
The pair began their journey on Aug. 31, accompanied by Jackson’s dog, Bennie.
Jackson noted that this remote stretch of roadway might be even more isolated than the Dempster Highway and would take the pair 12 to 14 days of walking and camping.
Jackson has notably undertaken several hundred-kilometre journeys by foot to raise money for the coalition since getting involved with the charity. He has been praised by the coalition for walking from Whitehorse to Dawson in 2022 and along the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Circle in 2021.
“I do this so I can get in shape and walk for a purpose beyond just helping myself,” Lawrence said when speaking about his reasons for joining Jackson on this year’s fundraising challenge.
Jackson got involved with the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition in the early 2000s by donating unsold sporting apparel when he was the owner and operator of Changing Gear.
“At the end of the season, the consignors had a choice whether they would pick up or not, and if they did not pick up unsold clothing, we would make all those donations to the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition, and they would use them for their events,” Jackson told the News.
The cumulative goal of Jackson’s fundraising efforts totals almost $53,000 since he began advocating for the organization, the coalition highlights.
Jackson spoke about the Voices Influencing Change program as an important initiative offering leadership training, advocacy opportunities and peer support for individuals experiencing homelessness and financial hardship.
“We went to one of their meetings, and the reception blew me away. They were just so open and grateful for what we’re doing on their behalf,” Jackson said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had such an interactive question-and-answer session, you know, and maybe it’s their relationship to the land or different things like that. But it was all more practical.”
The Nahanni Range Road walkathon fundraiser is going until the end of September. People can contribute through the fundraising platform DoJiggy.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
