Poverty Olympics Torchbearers Wanted

Poverty Olympics

The Poverty Olympics are an annual event in Vancouver that leverages the media and public attention paid to the Olympics to draw attention to the ongoing, systemic problems of the inner city environment of the Downtown Eastside. The picture of Vancouver that outsiders have is often skewed, and the Poverty Olympics organizers seek to generate awareness on the part of the rest of the world and action on the part of politicians locally.

If you’d like to volunteer as a torchbearer, here are all the details:

**Please distribute widely**

Torchbearers Needed for Poverty Olympics Torch Relay

through Metro Vancouver (Feb. 2-7)

Call for volunteers to walk in a relay that travels through 10 communities in 6 days

Torchbearers in the first ever Torch Relay through Metro Vancouver will walk with the 10-foot Poverty Olympic Torch from Langley to Vancouver. This journey will take place from February 2 to 7 through ten communities and is the last stage of the province-wide Poverty Olympics Torch Relay. Its purpose is to raise awareness about poverty and homelessness within Metro Vancouver, and to build media and public support toward the Poverty Olympics on Feb. 7.

The relay needs only 3 people per day, each walking for 3 hours (6km) on sidewalks, highway shoulder, or lane where necessary. When the Torch reaches the centre of each municipality there will be a short Community Celebration involving engagement with local residents: leafletting, a hockey shoot-out game (“Shoot to End Poverty”), photos with mascots (Itchy the Bedbug, Creepy the Cockroach, Chewy the Rat), and more.

Volunteers are needed for the Relay and the Community Celebrations. Please contact Trish at t_garner@sfu.ca if you are interested in taking part or for more details about the route and schedule.

Municipalities included: Langley, Surrey, New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Deep Cove, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Vancouver.

Major routes: Fraser Highway (Langley), 56th Ave. (Langley/Surrey), King George Highway (Surrey), Patullo Bridge, Columbia St. and 6th St. (New West.), Kingsway, Willingdon and Lougheed Hwy (Burnaby), North Road (Coquitlam), Marine Drive (North and West Van), Lions Gate Bridge, Georgia, Hastings (Vancouver).

Thank you, supporters of ending poverty!