Kayak, paddleboard, canoe around Greater Victoria during Oceans Day fundraiser

A Victoria-based charity is encouraging people to get paddling in June to support Indigenous and South Pacific communities.

The Pacific Peoples’ Partnership’s Paddle 4 Pacific campaign encourages participants to kayak, paddle board and canoe between May 31 and June 19 to mark World Oceans Day (June 8), and help the charity raise $25,000 and awareness for its programs here and abroad.

Individuals, families and groups can get involved in the campaign as a participant or team by creating their own fundraising website, where people can sponsor their paddling. Participants are encouraged to share their journey, paddling goals and photos along the way. The campaign says the fun goal is to strive to raise $20 per every kilometre they paddle.

Of the money raised, 75 per cent will benefit the Pacific Resilience Fund, an Indigenous-led fund that supports communities in the South Pacific. The rest will go to Pacific Peoples’ Partnership’s domestic programming, which supports Indigenous youth, arts, education, cultural exchange programs and more.

The Partnership aims to build solidarity, educate and engage Canadians and create innovative programming which directly supports and empowers Indigenous and South Pacific peoples.

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