It's time to get the hiking boots ready as Bowen Island Gives (BIG) gears up for its first fundraising event: a climb to the top of Mount Gardner. The non-profit group is organizing the June 30 event to support Alzheimer's research. Nicola Murray is a member of the group who was instrumental in choosing this year's charity as her father is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's. About the group's goal of raising $10,000, she says, "I'm not worried because we've already reached 52 per cent of our goal."
Most people who have registered are locals or friends and Murray is excited about the teams. "Some of the teams have raised over $500," she said. "We have a family that is signed up and will climb the mountain with two boys who are four and five. They joke that jelly beans make good motivators for the kids." Murray added that her teenage daughter will also get a team together.
The idea to climb Mount Gardner was inspired by an international event of the Alzheimer's Society that involves getting to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. But the top of the local mountain is not something that only the ultra-fit can reach, according to Murray, who has already guided a group on June 18 together with her BIG members Jen Hall and Natasha LaRoche.
"Someone contacted me who had organized a retreat of eight men on Bowen Island," Murray recalls. "The group couldn't go on June 30 but they also wanted to get a chance." Murray says that not all the men were seasoned hikers but a slow pace made the experience comfortable for everyone. She would also extend this opportunity to others don't have the chance to join everyone on the group hike. "If people can't make it on the 30th, they can hike at another time and we'd be happy to guide them," she said.
But June 30 is definitely the big day. BIG members have been busy marking the routes with purple flags. They've also arranged buses that will get people from the parking lot at the Bowen Island Community School at 9:15, 9:30 and 9:45 a.m.
And they have planned a party with live music by Peter Robinson and Grand National, Tony Dominelli, Brenda Reid, Ron Van Dyke and more. The celebration starts at 7 p.m. at the Legion and is open to everyone. Tickets cost $10 and are available at
Phoenix, but hikers receive their tickets free of charge. A bus service from the Legion is also arranged.
And even though Murray is happy with the turn-out so far, she says that she still hopes for a surge in sign-ups leading up to the event. "We will be happy to register people on the morning of the event and take their cheques," she said, adding that the climb starts at 10 a.m. "We really wanted to challenge people to go and climb Mount Gardner."
For more information, please see www.bowenislandgives.com.
