Open this photo in gallery:
Samantha Ruth, left, and Amanda Gracia, walked the length of Toronto’s Bloor-Danforth line this summer to raise money for Out of the Cold.Supplied
The organizers: Samantha Ruth and Amanda Gracia
The pitch: Raising $2,800 and climbing
The cause: Out of the Cold
A couple of years ago, Amanda Gracia came across a social-media post about someone who had walked from Union to Finch station along Toronto’s Yonge-University subway line.
She wanted to try the walk for herself and turned to her friend Samantha Ruth. “I asked Sam, ‘Hey, do you want to do this thing with me?’ Because we both like walking and we thought, well, there’s really nothing better to do anyway.”
So, last year they walked from Finch to Union station, a roughly 16-kilometre route that took them about seven hours. They enjoyed the walk so much they decided to make it an annual tradition. “We thought, ‘Okay, we did half of Line 1 last year. Maybe we’ll do Line 2 this year,’” recalled Ms. Gracia, a 23-year old dietician. “I don’t know, weird idea, but it was a lot of fun.”
This summer they set out from Kennedy station and walked to Kipling, a distance of 30 kilometres in total. Along with walking, the pair raised money for Out of the Cold, a Toronto-based charity that provides a range of services for unhoused people. Ms. Ruth, 26, has been volunteering with the organization for the past year.
“I’ve gotten to know that community really well. I’ve gotten to talk to people and see what they need in terms of food and housing,” she said. “And with the food costs rising and the amount of people who are using food banks increasing, I thought it would be a good idea to raise money for more hot meals for people in the city.”
The walk was a challenge, but it also gave the friends a different view of the city. They stopped in a variety of ethnic neighbourhoods and discovered new enclaves. “The walk just really reminded me of how diverse Toronto is and how beautiful it is,” Ms. Ruth said.
They’ve raised $2,800 so far and both have been humbled by the support and encouragement they’ve received. “We’re really proud that we’re able to do something for our neighbours and our community,” Ms. Gracia said.
They’ve already started thinking about next year’s walk and they’re considering Line 3, which has been closed, or the Ontario line. “We don’t really have a strict plan yet,” Ms. Gracia added. “We kind of just see where the summer takes us.”