The Island Walk is honoured to share that long-distance walker Betty Hope Gittens plans to celebrate her milestone 85th birthday by completing all 700 kilometres of the trail, and all to raise funds to address food insecurity.
How did you spend your last milestone birthday? Perhaps you enjoyed a lovely meal or a party with family and friends. Maybe you attended the theatre, purchased tickets to a special concert, or enjoyed an outing that has been on your wish list for years. Maybe you even splurged on a bucket list adventure or holiday. Some of us use the occasion to raise money or supplies for our favourite charity.
While many of us may celebrate our birthday by raising money for a preferred charity, very few of us hike hundreds of kilometers to do so. Which makes Betty Hope Gittens unique. Not only is she planning to hike all 700 kilometers of The Island Walk to celebrate her 85th birthday, but she’s walking every kilometer to raise money to support the In From Cold Supper Hospitality Program run by her Ottawa, Ontario church. During the winter months Parkdale United Church feeds over one hundred hungry people every Saturday, and Betty hopes to raise enough money to fill plates for years to come.
Betty Hope Gittens is no stranger to long walks or fundraising. To celebrate her 80th birthday this remarkable woman hiked the 800-kilometre Camino de Santiago in Spain, raising almost a quarter of a million dollars to support long term care facilities in both Ontario and Barbados. Five years later she’s at it again, but this time she’s chosen to visit our Island and complete our uniquely Canadian “Camino,” the 700-kilometer, 32-day hike Island Walk.
A 2023 Travel and Leisure article highlighted all the wonderful reasons Prince Edward Island is a top-notch Canadian destination. We’re affectionally called “Canada’s food island,” offering everything from fresh seafood to premium ice cream. There’s quaint towns, pastoral fields, and endless ocean vistas. Our Island is also steeped with rich Acadian, Celtic, and Indigenous heritage. It’s a great place to walk and we’re excited that Betty Hope Gittens will be enjoying her milestone birthday by hiking our small, but iconic, Island.
Betty will begin her walk around the Island on Mother’s Day, May 11th, 2024, and all of us on The Island Walk team will be cheering her every step. Perhaps you will as well. For those interested in supporting her walk, donations can be made by clicking the button below. And if you’d like to follow-in her footsteps and plan your own PEI trek, check our website where you, too, can plan an Island adventure.
Read Betty Does the Island Walk PEI – Parkdale United Church
Hello my dear friends:
I am so excited to tell you that I am now planning my 2nd Long Distance Walk. This time it is “THE ISLAND WALK – PEI”. Starting walk Sunday, May 12. Ending walk Friday, June 14, 2024. God’s willing. As some of you know, my son Simon passed away on February 19th, after a 3-year battle with cancer. His courage and resilience were impressive to see, but also difficult to watch as a mother. I saw him deteriorate in front of my eyes; although, he did his best to always make me smile and laugh. My dear Si is now with The Lord, and I am thankful for it.
In tribute to him, I have decided to undertake my second Long Distance walk. THE ISLAND WALK – PEI. The 700 km Camino de la Isla in Prince Edward Island was created in 2019. It is a major undertaking for me, albeit 100 km less than the France/Spain 800 km Camino de Santiago, which I successfully completed in 2019 for my 80th year raising over $225,000.00 for our 13 non-for-profit long term care homes in Ottawa; and providing beds, walkers, wheelchairs and assisted living equipment to the St. Philip’s District Hospital in Barbados. This ISLAND WALK – PEI will take me a minimum of 35 days to complete – walking 20 – 25 km each day and taking one rest day.
I am undertaking this walk to raise awareness and funds for the feeding initiative called In From The Cold Supper Hospitality Program (IFTC) operated by our family’s church – Parkdale United Church. I have volunteered with this program for many years. In the fall, winter & spring, we feed between 100 to 130 people every Saturday – whomever turns up at our door. Yes, it is hard to believe that right here in our Nation’s Capital City there are people who have trouble being fed, but it is unfortunately true.
My ask of you? Would you help me and our 50 – 60 volunteers promote and raise money for In From The Cold? Look! with some food donations from our very supportive corporate community, we can actually feed: 5 people for $50, 10 people for $100 every Saturday throughout the winter months.
That is why I am willing to walk the 20 – 25 km each day. I am hoping to raise enough funds to keep Parkdale’s IFTC program running for the next 5 years. Our Rev. Dr. Anthony Bailey, who initiated this program in November 2002, said his heartfelt goodbye to his guests on Saturday, March 23rd. This was his very last day greeting his guests as they arrive for their 4-course meal. Rev. Bailey retires from his tenure at Parkdale in September of this year. Now, this is even more reason that we must strive to keep this program up and running.
Please be assured that 100% of your donations will be used to provide and serve these meals. Donations can be made online at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/81017 or www.parkdaleunitedchurch.ca. Cheques are also welcomed. Please make cheques payable to Parkdale United Church and specify “In From The Cold” on the memo line. Your donations will be directed to the IFTC program at Parkdale United Church. All donations are tax deductible.
Thank you and God Bless.
Betty Hope Gittens ([email protected])
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