For anyone near the waterfront this weekend, the sight of canoes moving through downtown will be hard to miss. But behind the fun is a simple idea that has carried one Toronto charity for 60 years: every child deserves the chance to belong.
Amici Children’s Camp Charity is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, while its signature fundraiser, Canoe Heads for Kids, is marking its 20th anniversary this Saturday, May 23 in Toronto. The event brings teams together for a 15-kilometre urban canoe challenge that includes a 7.5-kilometre portage through downtown Toronto and a 7.5-kilometre paddle on Lake Ontario!
Since launching in 2007, Canoe Heads for Kids has raised more than $830,000, with funds raised helping children and youth from low-income families attend overnight summer camp across Ontario.
“Anniversaries are about more than numbers,” Judy MacGowan, executive director of Amici Children’s Camp Charity, said. “They are about people. They are about the campers who discover what they are capable of, the families who feel supported, and the camp partners who open their doors.”
For the event’s 20th anniversary, Amici introduced a new Trail Crew option this year, allowing team members to walk alongside portaging participants, cheer on paddlers and fundraise as part of the team. And those unable to make it to the waterfront this weekend were also able to register virtually, so they can complete either a 15-kilometre activity of their choice or 15 camp-themed activities on their own schedule!
For MacGowan, the event is just as much about the donors and volunteers who believe every child deserves the chance to belong. “Canoe Heads for Kids captures that spirit beautifully,” she said. “It is joyful, visible, challenging, very fun and deeply meaningful.”
Amici is a Toronto-based charity that began in 1966, when a group of teenage campers from Kilcoo Camp saved enough money over two summers to send one child to camp. Six decades later, that same idea has grown into a charity that supports hundreds of campers between the ages of 7 and 17 at nearly 50 partner camps across Ontario.
Although registration for this year’s Canoe Heads for Kids is closed, supporters can still help by donating to Amici or pledging support for Canoe Heads participants. More information about Canoe Heads for Kids, donations and Amici’s work is available on their website.
Follow @amicicharity on Instagram for updates.
