WALK FOR WARMTH -
Mississauga pair to undertake a 100 kilometer charity walk in China.
Mississauga, ON, October 14, 2009 - Attending four tradeshows over a two-week period, two employees of Mississauga’s Orchard International will attempt to walk 100 kilometers to raise money to buy much-needed winter clothes for students in Guizhou Province, China.
WALK FOR WARMTH
Mississauga pair to undertake a 100 kilometer charity walk in China
Mississauga, ON, October 14, 2009 - Attending four tradeshows over a two-week period, two employees of Mississauga’s Orchard International will attempt to walk 100 kilometers to raise money to buy much-needed winter clothes for students in Guizhou Province, China.
From October 16 to 30, Kimberly Chennette and Claudia Campanaro will be travelling in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China, to attend series of gift and premium tradeshows. The shows are held semiannually in October and April and the two are regular attendees on behalf of their employer, Orchard International, a Mississauga-based importing company specializing in unique bath, beauty and gift items.
"When we were at the shows last April, I decided to track the number of kilometers we walked using my pedometer," said Chennette. "At the end of the trip we had walked 89 kilometers, essentially from Mississauga to Grimsby"
For this trip they decided to use their marathon walk to raise money among their co-workers to buy winter clothes for students enrolled at The Orchard Hope School Project, part of the China Youth Development Foundation. Orchard International sponsors the Hope School located near Guiyang in Guizhou Province. Located in the southeast, Guizhou is one of China’s poorest provinces.
"Our team is always looking for new ways to help raise funds for the school," said Shelley Wishart, President of Orchard International. "This walk just seemed like such a natural fit, walking in China to support a school in China."
The Orchard Hope School has close to 300 students enrolled, studying in grades one through six. The boys and girls range in age from three to 17 years. The Orchard Hope School provides a lunch program to ensuring every child has at least one hot meal a day and provides the students with the opportunity to learn in a positive environment. Some students walk up to two hours one-way just to attend the school.
Anyone interested in supporting The China Youth Development Foundation can visit its website at www.cydf.org.cn/en/ for further information. If anyone would like to donate new winter clothing for the students, it can be dropped off at Orchard International’s offices at 275 Superior Boulevard, Unit 1, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
