Beach community members show their support for annual Royal LePage Shelter Foundation Night Light Walk Toronto
By VIRAG TAKACS
On a wonderfully warm October evening last week, countless people wearing red and carrying lanterns to light the way began walking in the Beach neighbourhood as a way to support local shelters.
Beach streets between Kew Gardens and Glen Manor Drive, and along the Boardwalk, were filled with walkers for the third annual Royal LePage Shelter Foundation’s Night Light Walk Toronto on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Starting at Kew Gardens on Queen Street the three-kilometre walk continued up to Norway Avenue, heading over Glen Manor Bridge, coming back down through Ivan Forrest Gardens and then returning along the Boardwalk. At each corner volunteers guided walkers towards the next kilometre marker.
Once at the Boardwalk, people took time to stop and view a glowing purple heart display set up in the sand beside the Leuty Lifeguard Station. Made of several individual lights, the purple heart is a memorial for the lives that had been lost in the past year due to intimate partner violence, with each light representing an individual.
Several similar walks took place throughout Canada, but the Beach’s Night Light Walk is the only one in Toronto. The funds raised go to The Red Door Family Shelter and Nellie’s shelter, both East Toronto organizations that operate shelters for women and children fleeing domestic violence.
Royal LePage Estate Realty hosted the annual Night Light Walk Toronto under the guidance of Chris Dunlop, Owner and Broker of Record for Royal LePage Estate Realty.
“We’re bringing together over 200 members of the community to raise funds to support Red Door and Nellie’s and also to educate people about domestic violence,” said Dunlop.
A cheque presentation of $52,000 took place before the start of the walk, with representatives from Royal LePage, Red Door Family Shelter, and Nellie’s present. The fundraising goal for this year’s walk is $65,000, and people can continue to make donations to the Night Light Walk until Thursday, Oct. 29.
“Fundraisers like this are just so critical for enabling the staff within our shelters to just give the best care to the women and the children and the families who need us the most,” said Melissa Andersson, President and Chair of the Red Door Family Shelter.
The Red Door Family Shelter and Nellie’s do more than just operate shelters. Both organizations work with the community to provide workshops and services for women, children and families in need to help them find safe spaces and be able to navigate life alone after fleeing abusive situations.
According to Andersson, volunteer support is a major facet of keeping the organization going. Individuals take the skills they have and apply it to their volunteer work, helping in any way they can.
Looking over the walkers gathering in Kew Gardens on the night of Oct. 22, Ingrid Graham, Executive Director at Nellie’s, spoke about her experiences with the Beach community and its support for the Night Light Walk in the past three years.
“One of the interesting things about this community is that it is a community, and that they do want to support what is going on within their borders,” said Graham.
She also spoke of a new resource that Nellie intends to start in the next few weeks, a booklet called The Purple Pages. The booklet was originally created by one of the Night Light Walkers roughly six months ago, and it lists all the community supports available for anyone needing any additional help.
Dunlop also shared Graham’s high opinion of the dedication and support to the Night Light Walk shown by the Beach community.
“When I got here at three o’clock today to set up, there were actually four different members of the community who just showed up and said ‘How can we help’, and that was really incredible.”
For information on how to make a donation this week to the Royal Lepage Shelter Foundation Night Light Walk Toronto, please go to https://shelterfoundation.akaraisin.com/ui/NightLightWalk/g/50709
