Second national walk in support of Stephen Lewis Foundation engages communities from coast to coast to generate funds for African grandmothers and the orphaned children in their care
Toronto, ON – On each weekend between May 14 and June 12, thousands of Canadians will take part in the Stride to Turn the Tide national fundraising walk, as an act of solidarity with grandmothers raising grandchildren orphaned by AIDS in Africa. The second annual walk will unite nearly 240 grandmothers’ groups in communities across the country in an effort to raise awareness and funds to meet the needs of African grandmothers through the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.
“As governments have withdrawn their financial backing from Africa during the recent financial downturn and, in particular, for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, it is critical that we stride forward in solidarity and continue to raise money for these innovative and groundbreaking grassroots organizations supported by the Stephen Lewis Foundation,” says Pam Farron, Stride to Turn the Tide Chair. “African grandmothers are burying their children, who have died as a result of HIV/AIDS, and taking on responsibility for their grandchildren and other orphaned children in the community. They are the unsung heroes of the pandemic and we will not rest until they can rest.”
The inaugural walk, in 2010, raised nearly $400,000 benefitting grassroots organizations funded by the Stephen Lewis Foundation in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 14.8 million children under the age of 18 have lost one or both parents to AIDS.[i][i] The programmes these organizations have developed at community-level recognize the needs of African grandmothers and offer support in forms such as nutritious food, housing, grief counselling and school fees for their orphaned grandchildren.
“At Revera, we help seniors live life to the fullest and are proud to be the founding sponsor of the national walk to support hardworking grandmothers in Africa,” says Jeffrey Lozon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Revera, a leading North American provider of seniors’ accommodation, care and services, and founding sponsor. “Not only does the walk raise awareness of the struggles African grandmothers face every day, but we are also highlighting the significant role seniors play in our society as active members of the community.”
Stride to Turn the Tide was conceived by a passionate grandmothers’ group in Canmore, Alberta in recognition of the courage and resilience of their African sisters, with the aim of engaging fellow Canadians in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Donations to Stride to Turn the Tide can be made directly to participants or online at
www.stridetoturnthetide.ca. Proceeds go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
About the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign
The Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign was launched in March 2006, to support the legions of African grandmothers who have stepped in to care for their orphaned grandchildren. Since the launch, nearly 240 groups across Canada – more than 5,000 grandmothers – have answered the call to action raising funds, awareness and support for African grandmothers and the children. The Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign supports African grandmothers by raising funds to meet the immediate and long-term needs of African grandmothers and the children in their care; building solidarity amongst and between African and Canadian grandmothers; and stimulating action in Canada at the national level in order to amplify the voices and expertise of the African grandmothers in addressing the AIDS pandemic. The Grandmothers Campaign has raised more than $12 million to date.
About The Stephen Lewis Foundation
The Stephen Lewis Foundation supports community-based organizations working to turn the tide of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Since 2003, the Foundation has funded more than 700 initiatives with 300 organizations in 15 countries. These grassroots organizations are the lifeline for their communities: they provide counselling and education about HIV prevention, care and treatment; distribute food, medication and other necessities; reach the sick and vulnerable through home-based health care; help orphans and vulnerable children access education and work through their grief; and support grandmothers caring for their orphaned grandchildren.
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Media Contacts:
Pam Farron
Chair, Stride to Turn the Tide
403-609-0546
pfarron3@telus.net
Nikki Gentles
Stephen Lewis Foundation
1-888-203-9990 ext. 222
ngentles@stephenlewisfoundation.org
[i][i] UNAIDS. UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2010. Geneva: UNAIDS, p.186.