Coquitlam resident Alexander Bell can’t stop climbing the Coquitlam Crunch, and on Sunday, August 29th, he’s going to be climbing it as many times as he can in one day for a good cause. Bell is teaming up with the Coquitlam Foundation to raise funds and awareness for initiatives that embrace diversity in our community. Five times up the Crunch would be a minimum and ten times would probably be the maximum. Ten times would be over 40 kms with a total elevation gain of about 2800 meters or 9000 feet.
Bell says, “This year, it will be just me with the support of friends and neighbors. I would like to get some sponsors and raise a couple of hundred dollars. Next year, with more time and organizing, we can involve more people and raise a couple of thousand dollars. My vision for the future is to have people representing every diversity group to join me in ‘the Diversity Crunch’. Our aim is to raise enough money to create an endowment fund with the Coquitlam Foundation; one that can support diversity initiatives in Coquitlam for years to come.”
Bell is the Safe Harbour Coordinator for the Tri-Cities; a diversity awareness program for businesses and community agencies. “I wanted to do something that would support diversity awareness activities and raise awareness of the Safe Harbour Program. I also wanted to do something that would bring attention to the Coquitlam Foundation, a great resource we have in Coquitlam with even more potential as people learn about what it can do for our community” says Bell.
The Safe Harbour program delivers “Respect for All” workshops to businesses and agencies. The program promotes equitable treatment for all, creating an immediate safe place, and supports employees and worksites to actively implement these commitments. Toward the vision of a more welcoming community, the Tri-Cities now has its own Safe Harbour program and Bell welcomes the opportunity to bring more businesses on board. There are now over 700 Safe Harbour certified locations signed on across BC. For more information on the Safe Harbour project visit www.safeharbour.ca, or call Alexander at (778) 886-9273.
The Coquitlam Foundation is pleased to accept tax-deductible donations for the Coquitlam Crunch Challenge. You can mail a cheque to the Foundation c/o P.O. Box 2, 1207 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, B.C., Canada, V3B 7Y3, or through the Foundation’s website www.coquitlamfoundation.com.
