On Aug 9 Emma Maan will be dropped off by a helicopter and will begin a 100 km trek through the Purcell Mountains in British Columbia. The 44 year old realtor, who works out of Royal LePage's Georgetown office, will be joining 62 of her colleagues from across Canada in the Purcell Mountains Challenge to raise money for the company's Shelter Foundation which should easily surpass its goal $600,000—money which will go directly to women's shelters and a Canada-wide education campaign.
The six day trek is designed to be challenging, emotionally, physically and mentally. Participants carry all their own equipment and sleep in a pup tent every night that they set up themselves.
Women's shelters are in acute need of support, according the the Shelter Foundation. COVID restrictions have put more stress on the shelter system and the organizations haven't been able to hold their fund raisers in the last two years.
In 2020 Halton Police investigated 3,521 incidents of reported intimate partner violence—that's more than 10 incidents per day in the region. “From my experience, shelters have to turn away people fairly frequently because they don't have beds,” added Maan. “Every night in Ontario, there are roughly 300 women and children requiring shelter that don't have it. In the past I have brought people to the shelter in Milton and there were no beds. We really need a shelter in the Georgetown/Acton area.”
According to Maan, the primary goal of the trek is to raise awareness about domestic violence, but more importantly, the Purcell Mountains Challenge is set up to avoid administration fees and get the donations to those organizations in need. Each participant has to pay $3,200 to take part, and must pay for their own way to Golden, BC where they are rendezvous with the helicopter and the trek guides. As well, each realtor must raise at least $5,000 independently.
Maan told Acton UP, “That’s what I love about this challenge. Every penny will go to women's shelters. 80% of the funds I raise will go directly to the Halton Women's Place in Milton. The other 20% goes into an education fund that will be provided in schools.”
“From my experience shelters have to turn away people fairly frequently because they don't have beds. Every night there are roughly 300 women and children requiring shelter that don't have it. In the past I have brought people to the shelter and there were no beds.”
Maan admits to being nervous about the upcoming ordeal but she's been in training. In fact, you might have seen her on the trails around Halton Hills with her 30lb backpack. “I'm typically not a fit person; I didn't ever work out. But COVID got me working out and working towards something, and this is something I wanted to help with,” she said.
To donate to the cause you can go to... https://royallepage.myetap.org/fundraiser/purcell/individual.do?participationRef=1185.0.2338005529&fbclid=IwAR3eaTWXBFwEtEvWNr5xSbFZgOUyc9d-3rCEavsV7QZTyUBi08L2Sr66i3Y
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