On Oct. 3, members of the York University Retirees’ Association (YURA) will walk five kilometres through the University’s Keele Campus to raise funds for the York Federation of Students (YFS) Food Support Centre, more commonly known as the student food bank on campus.
Earlier this year, the YURA executive committee voted unanimously to assist the YFS Food Support Centre, as one in four students at York struggles to afford food, according to a Campus Well-Being Survey conducted during the past winter term. It also stated more than 2,500 students were relying on the YFS Food Support Centre.
The fundraising walk on Oct. 3 will take place at 1 p.m., starting at the Lorna Marsden Honour Court (north of the Schulich School of Business building, east of the York University subway station), the new location of the YURA office. The route through the Keele Campus was developed with Recreation York, and all members of the University community – faculty, staff and students – are welcome to participate in all or part of the approximately one-hour walk, to show their support for this important cause.
To date, YURA’s Charity Challenge team has already raised more than $18,000 in sponsor donations from friends, family, and former York colleagues and co-workers. YURA welcomes further contributions from faculty, staff and others who are also concerned about student food insecurity at the University. To sponsor the YURA team or any of its members, tax-deductible online donations can be made here: raceroster.com/events/2023/65909/2023-tcs-toronto-waterfront-marathon/pledge/team/528606.
For further assistance, contact the YURA office at yura@yorku.ca or call 416-736-2100 ext. 70664.
The YURA team consists of eight members registered officially as fundraisers and a larger contingent of York retirees who wish to support this cause.
This is the fifth year that YURA is taking part in the Charity Challenge. In previous years, YURA’s participation helped raise sufficient funds to endow in perpetuity three graduate student awards given annually at York University.
The upcoming YURA fundraising walk is being held in conjunction with the Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge, which offers the option of a “virtual” Charity Challenge, allowing registrants to do the five kilometres on their own or with others.