An Abbotsford woman will walk 100 kilometres from Chilliwack to Vancouver in a single day this September to draw attention to domestic and intimate partner violence and raise funds for a local feminist non-profit.
From Promontory to Science World
The walk, titled “100KM FOR HER: Walk a Day in Her Shoes”, will start at midnight on Sept. 19 in the Promontory area of Chilliwack. The walker, who lives in the Sumas Flats area of Abbotsford, plans to pass through Abbotsford, Mission, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Coquitlam and Burnaby before reaching her endpoint at Science World in Vancouver by 11:30 a.m. the same day.
Organisers say the event is intended to spark public conversation about what it takes for someone to leave an abusive situation and to generate financial support for SARA for Women, a Fraser Valley-based feminist organisation that provides community resources for women.
“I created ‘100KM FOR HER: Walk a Day in Her Shoes’ because I wanted to do something that made people stop and think about what it can actually take for a woman to get from abuse to safety,” the organiser wrote in a press release.
Personal motivation and public goals
The walker has said the route carries personal meaning: she plans to begin the trek from the street she left four years ago when she left a nearly 30-year marriage. In correspondence with media, she described returning to that place to walk away from it again, but this time on her own terms — an act framed as both personal catharsis and public witness.
Her financial target is explicit: she hopes to raise $55,000 for SARA for Women. She has broken down the fundraising ambition into accessible increments to show how community contributions could add up.
- Goal: $55,000
- Target arrival time in Vancouver: 11:30 a.m., Sept. 19
- Route: Promontory (Chilliwack) through Abbotsford, Mission, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Coquitlam and Burnaby to Science World
Why it matters locally
Vancouver and the Fraser Valley are connected not only by geography but by shared social services and community networks. Fundraising campaigns that span municipal boundaries highlight the regional nature of support systems for survivors of violence, and they draw attention to the practical and emotional labour involved in seeking safety.
SARA for Women, the beneficiary, operates in the Fraser Valley and provides community-based resources for women, a focus that organisers say makes the walk directly relevant to local support infrastructure. The plan to end at a high-profile Vancouver landmark — Science World — is intended to maximise public visibility and conversation around the issue.
Logistics, visibility and community response
Organisers plan public meet-ups early in the walk around Promontory and Uplands roads. While details about route permits, safety supports or volunteers were not provided in the press material, events of this type typically rely on local volunteers, municipal approvals and co-ordination with police and health services along major corridors.
By choosing to walk through multiple municipalities in the region, the project invites residents and civic organisations to mark the route with support, donations or simply by turning out to show solidarity. The walker has framed the fundraising goal in relatable terms — for instance, suggesting how many people giving modest amounts could reach the target — to encourage broad participation.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Distance | 100 km |
| Start | Promontory, Chilliwack — midnight, Sept. 19 |
| Finish | Science World, Vancouver — 11:30 a.m., Sept. 19 |
| Beneficiary | SARA for Women |
| Fundraising goal | $55,000 |
What to watch for
Vancouver-area residents who want to support the walk can watch for announcements about any planned arrival activities at Science World, or get involved earlier along the route as the walker passes through suburbs and stops for public engagement. The event is intended to put survivors’ needs front and centre and to remind the region that support networks span municipal boundaries.
As the date approaches, further information on safety plans, volunteer opportunities and donation channels should be available from the organiser or from SARA for Women.
