BradfordToday columnist and local resident Cynthia Breadner is back at it again with her second annual fitness fundraiser for charity.
This year, she decided to put her efforts into helping the underprivileged children in El Alto, Bolivia, with The Help Bolivia Foundation.
The grassroots foundation was started by Alberta couple Matt and Lydia Hill, who, after taking a trip to Bolivia in 2018 and seeing children living in extreme poverty wanted to do something to help.
The foundation focuses on providing programming, nutritional support, and education for children, women, and youth. Each year, the couple makes the trip to Bolivia and invites other supporters of the charity to join them.
The foundation was registered as a charity in 2019 and this is their first-ever fitness fundraiser, whom Breadner gave the idea. The charity now has four teams (including Breadner's) taking part. In total, they hope to raise $10,000 collectively for the cause.
Breadner met the Hills virtually through a relative. She was intrigued by their efforts in helping to better the lives of the Aboriginal peoples of Bolivia and wanted to know how she could get involved in the charity.
"They are just working really hard to help these people," said Breadner. "They are helping this whole community with their spiritual care, helping them get the things they need to function better."
Breadner is a spiritual care provider in the area and enjoys finding ways to connect with others, in particular the elderly.
Breadner is hoping to join the foundation on their next trip to Bolivia in 2022.
"We are just so lucky, and so blessed and so abundant here in our country," said Breadner. "And we don't realize what we have until it's stripped from you."
For this year's challenge, Breadner plans to cover a total of 312km while biking, hiking, and running. Supporting her again in her challenge this year is daughter Danielle Belanger. The mother-daughter duo has their own Vlog, DanCyn' Adventures dedicated to their outdoor activities.
"This year is my 62nd birthday and so I have committed to do 250km + a 62km one-day event," said Breadner. "I am only 20km in so I have some work to do."
This weekend, she plans to rack up some of her distance while solo-camping/hiking on the Bruce Trail.
As for her one-day 62km challenge, she has yet to determine which day in August she will complete it or what activity she will do but hopes to have Danielle join her.
Breadner has a goal of raising $3,120 by the end of August, and so far has raised $260.
You can donate to her challenge here, and follow her journey on social media using the hashtag, #GetFit4Bolivia or #dancynadventures.
