Team Zold`s Leader, Shawn Zigelstein is going to trek in Ecuador for charity in November 2023!
In September of 2022 I put my name forward to hike once again for The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and am thrilled to let you know that I have been selected to help make a difference in the lives of Women and Children across our great country.
This will be my third hike for Shelter, as I completed the Iceland Hike in 2017 and Sahara Hike in 2019 - (click on those to see pics from the great challenges we had), which were both life changing experiences for myself and my fellow trekkers. Knowing that the amount of donations that we, as a team succeeded in raising was over 3 Million Dollars, would be able to go directly to help the lives of women and their children escaping domestic violence, was the most satisfying part of our journey.
As a real estate broker, my job is to help my clients find the perfect place to live and I can't imagine ‘home’ being a place of fear and danger. Sadly, on any given night in Canada close to 6,000 women and children stay in an emergency shelter because it’s not safe for them to be at home. At the same time, 300 are turned away each night because all the shelters are full. Even more tragically, on average, every 6 days in Canada a woman is killed by her current or former partner. In too many cases women go to their local shelter because they are literally running for their lives.
Did you know that in 2021 there were 127,082 victims of police-reported family violence (violence committed by spouses, parents, children, siblings and extended family members) across Canada, a rate of 336 victims per 100,000 population? This marked the fifth consecutive year of increase. Women and girls represented two-thirds (69%) of family violence victims. The rate of family violence was more than two times higher for women and girls than for men and boys (457 victims versus 212 per 100,000 population).
I want to help these women and children by ensuring a safe place and support services are available to them when they need it. They deserve our help and our encouragement that a brighter future is possible. I also recognize that educating our youth about building healthy relationships is the key to breaking the cycle of family violence in Canada. Will you join me in making a difference?
In November 2023, I will be heading to Ecuador to hike for 5 days towards one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, Mt. Cotopaxi, in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and my local Women's Shelter The Yellow Brick House!
During this high-altitude adventure, I will be hiking long days across varied terrain in unpredictable mountain weather. I’ll be camping in a tent and going without cell service, electricity, bathroom facilities and other comforts of home. This trek will not be easy but it will be immensely worthwhile. Each step I take and every dollar I raise will support courageous women and children in my community who are seeking safety and hope for a life free from abuse.
To be eligible to participate, I must raise at least $6,000 but I have adjusted my goal to $12,000 - and would love to make that even higher!
This journey will not be easy and it has already started for me. I will be preparing physically and mentally for months with a full training regime and will be covering all of my own travel costs and sponsoring several events to make this even more fun for you and your families to enjoy and of course donate more money to a wonderful and needed cause. Each dollar we raise and every step we take will make it easier for women and children in our communities to walk safely away from violence.
Click HERE to help me reach my fundraising goal. Thank you for your support!
Note: The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation issues tax receipts in February for all donations ($20+) made in the previous calendar year..
