The East Coast Trail wants you to log its entire length in 3 months, for 2 good causes
An annual fundraiser for the East Coast Trail has expanded this year, and is challenging people across the province to log the trail network's entire 336 kilometre length to raise money for both trail upkeep and mental health.
For its 2020 edition of the Trail Raiser challenge, The East Coast Trail Association has partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association-Newfoundland and Labrador. The two groups are asking people to hike, walk, run or use a wheelchair to cover the trail's distance by the end of October.
While the groups will split the money raised 50/50, they say the challenge is also meant to boost the mental health of its participants.
"As most people know, when you're physically active it certainly helps with your mental health," said Paul Fifield, corporate services manager of CMHA-NL.
He added getting outside can help combat isolation.
"A lot of people are working from home — the social distance piece — so they don't have the same connection in the office, or with friends and family," he said.
In past years, the Trail Raiser challenge has taken place on a few select portions of th East Coast Trail. For 2020, it can take place anywhere along the trail, or not on the trail at all.
That opens up the fundraiser to anyone living far away from the trail, or those with mobility issues who don't have access to it. Participants will be able to track their distances through an online portal after registering and can simply log their kilometres wherever they see fit.
Fifield said the CMHA-NL is beginning to see some return on the research being done over the course of the pandemic. He said there is a clear uptick in mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and stress.
"When people's routines are turned upside-down that can create some new mental health issues, and maybe even introduce people to a mental illness," he said.
Uptick in trail use
One of the first and only things the public could partake in during the height of the pandemic in Newfoundland and Labrador was simply being outdoors, within your own bubble.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald often said during the province's COVID-19 briefings that walking, running, hiking or cycling were good ways to break up the time spent in lock down.
Julia Penney, business manager of the ECTA, said the trail has seen a lot of activity so far this year.
"It seems to just be really discovered by locals these last few months. We've had a ton of people on the trails, buying maps and supporting us that way, which has been really encouraging to see," she said.
The ECTA's portion of the funds raised will only be a drop in the bucket for what's needed, said Penney. With one of the toughest winters on record, coupled by a delay in the maintenance season due to the pandemic, she said anything helps.
"That's not our full maintenance budget, but that will help us, for sure, to keep the trails in the pristine state that they are, and make the upgrades to make them even better years to come."
Fifield said that like most other community organizations, the CMHA-NL has seen a decline in fundraising due to the pandemic. He said funding earned from the Trail Raiser challenge for the CMHA-NL will go toward education and training throughout the province.
"It'll help our facilitators get out to areas outside of St. John's, Grand Falls and Stephenville where we have offices," he said.
"It'll go a long way to do the mental health training which is much needed, especially now with the uptick with mental health issues across the province."
The fundraising goal is $100,000.
Information for those interested in taking part of the challenge can be found on the CMHA-NL website.
Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador