The Sachigo Lake youth who walked from their home community to fundraise for the Dennis Franklin Cromarty Student Living Centre in April are the first runner up for Wawatay’s youth story of the year.
The Sachigo Lake walkers completed their “awesome” fundraising walk for the Living Centre with the presentation of a $49,040 cheque.
“It just felt good walking 1,100 kilometres — it was pretty awesome,” said Devon Thunder, one of 10 walkers who completed the 17-day walk from Sachigo Lake to Thunder Bay over northwestern Ontario’s winter roads and highways.
Thunder and the other nine walkers, including Kevin Smith, Randell Barkman, Lazlo Kaminawash, William Ombash, Charmaine Barkman, Tito Barkman, Genevieve Beardy, Karma Barkman and Janessa Barkman, presented the $49,040 donation to Wasaya Group’s DFC Student Living Centre initiative during an April 22 celebration and media conference at DFC.
The walkers faced freezing rain and extreme winter whiteout conditions during their journey, which began on April 5 on the shores of Sachigo Lake, but they were supported with cheers, food, shelter and much needed clothing during stopovers in Weagamow, Pickle Lake, Sioux Lookout and Wabigoon Lake.
“The first day it was brutal — we were all sore, we were cold, we were tired, thirsty, hungry,” said Charmaine Barkman, another former DFC student.
Barkman said the walkers only had $40 on the first day of their walk, but they got “lots of support” along the walk.
When I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.
I grew up...
I’m happy to see the ongoing support and assistance in our northern remote communities to help our people cope with so many lifelong and generational issues...