Winnipeg Teen Concludes “Vision 4 Hope” Cross Canada Run
She became a role model not only for Aboriginal youth BUT for everyone.
On March 20, 2010, Candace Sutherland began her journey to run from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia to raise money for The Salvation Army and three other charities: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Diabetes Association, and Canadian Cancer Society. The cross-country trek, called “Vision4Hope”, reached it’s conclusion one day before her 18th birthday on February 25th, 2011 in Victoria, BC.
The Manitoba resident becomes the first aboriginal female to complete a cross country run.
When she was younger Candace thrived and began running after school. By the age of twelve she was running distances of ten miles and has since then competed in numerous marathons and long distance prize races. Putting her talents to good use, Candace used her running skills to help raise awareness about marginalized people in Canada and her hometown of Winnipeg. Candace reflects that “Many times on my way to train I would see lots of people at soup lines. Sometimes I noticed children in line and this would give me flash backs of when I went to those places to get food. I decided that is what I wanted to do with my running skills – use running to help bring awareness to what is happening to our people.” Candace adds, “I have seen them come to me sick from cancer, diabetes, sick from poverty, sick from heart attacks and strokes. I decided to run across Canada to try to make life easier for people who suffer from these terrible causes. These 4 charities are meaningful to me because their mission is to help with poverty and health concerns that have affected my family in one way or another over the years.
Way to go Candace !!!
If you would like to make a donation to Candace’s “Vision 4 Hope” go to www.candacesutherland.com